Book 22 - Motorway To Roswell
by GailDunn2
Summary: WARNING: Adult content and situations. It is finally time for Castiel's group to obtain the last Tablet, but there are roadblocks. Lucifer is organizing Armageddon behind the scenes, but there are other issues to deal with now. Can the team overcome the obstacles that continue to be thrown their way?
1. Time Stand Still

BOOK FIVE - ANGELS, ALIENS AND ARCHETYPES

Chapter 1 - Time Stand Still

They were just finishing up with dinner. Barry had set up the food in the kitchen buffet-style, and the humans had all loaded their plates and brought them back out to the library area. Gail hadn't wanted the group to be segregated into humans and Angels. The noise level in the library was considerable, but it sounded like everyone was having a good time reconnecting.

The group that had gone to Romania were telling their Angel and human friends about their adventures over there. After a bit of prodding, Cas had joined in. He'd realized that Gail was right; the mission in Romania was over now, and they needed to put it behind them and move on. Klara's death had been very sad and it had been completely unnecessary, but otherwise, there had been no lasting harm done. The bottom line was, the Tablet had been successfully acquired, and perhaps best of all, Jason was finally dead.

So now, they would be gearing up for the road trip to go and obtain the fifth and final Tablet. But Tommy had advised that they should take their time about getting to Nevada, because his contact would probably need two weeks or so to get them the Top Secret clearance they would need in order to safely enter Area 51. But Cas thought the delay could actually be a blessing in disguise. There were a few things that various members of their group would need to attend to before going out on the road again. But if everything worked out the way he anticipated, they should have the Tablet a week to ten days before Christmas. Cas fully intended to keep his promise to Gail about that. So, unless they were in the midst of something that would alter the fate of all mankind, they were damn well going to take a couple of days to celebrate Christmas with their friends and family, and with each other. No one deserved a happy and loving Christmas more than Gail, in Cas's opinion. They all did.

Cas had apologized to Riley when their human friends were eating dinner, and Riley had apologized right back.

"You must understand that these Tablet missions are fraught with danger, and many lives have been lost in their acquisition," Castiel had said to the young Angel. "Therefore, they take a toll on those involved, both physically and emotionally." He frowned. "Lucifer enjoys killing people, Riley. That's the bottom line. So, while I can see that these missions seem very exciting to you in the abstract, you need to know that we mourn every life that is lost."

"Hear, hear," Bobby said, raising his bottle of beer in a toast. Those in their group that had drinks lifted them in response.

But Riley hung his head. He didn't blame Castiel for admonishing him earlier. In his enthusiasm to hear stories of Castiel's bravery, Riley had gotten carried away. "I'm sorry, Castiel," he said quietly. "I meant no disrespect, Sir."

Gail had taken a drink earlier just to be companionable, and she banged her glass on the table now. "Quit calling my husband 'Sir'!" she said to Riley. "That's just like calling me Ma'am,'. I told you not to do that, any more."

Frank nearly spit out his mouthful of beer. "Did he really call you that? Oh, please tell me he called you that," he said, chortling.

"Yeah, and I told him to quit it," Gail groused to her brother. "Makes me feel old."

"My little sister, a 'Ma'am'," Frank said, grinning widely. "That's hilarious."

Gail looked at Riley, who was staring at her now, with a stricken look on his face. She hoped she hadn't gone too far, but she'd wanted to lighten the mood a little. "Feel free to call my brother 'Pookie'," she said to Riley. "He really likes that." Everybody laughed, and Cas smiled. But Riley looked uncertain, so she said, "You're going to have to get used to teasing and being teased, Riley. Cas is right; a lot of what we do is very stressful, so we like to have a laugh, too. After all, laughter is the best medicine, right?"

"Right, Ma-" Riley stopped himself. He'd been about to call her "Ma'am" again.

"Now he's calling me a man, I think!" Gail complained jokingly to Cas, throwing up her hands in mock despair.

Cas knew what she was doing. His smile widened. "Then Riley obviously needs glasses," he remarked in a light tone. He tilted his head, looking at his wife. "Do you want me to fight him?"

Riley was looking positively panicked by now, and Gail decided she'd better not torment him anymore. She got up and walked over to where Riley was sitting, across the table from Cas. He had tried to get the chair beside Cas when they'd first sat down, but Dean had plunked himself into that chair first, and Gail was already on Cas's other side, as usual. Everyone knew better by now than to try to sit in her seat, even Riley, who was relatively new to their little family. So he had scrambled to get the chair opposite Cas, then. Gail thought it was very cute, and more than a little bit funny, too. It was as if Riley needed to sit as close to Cas as possible, to bask in his greatness, or something. Not that she could blame him for wanting to be close to Cas, of course. But she just didn't want any additional pressure put on her husband. He had quite enough responsibility right now, as it was. Maybe she should tell young Riley that Cas snored, or that his socks sometimes smelled less than fresh. That wouldn't be the truth, of course, but his hero worship of Cas needed to come down just a notch, or the poor guy was going to die of fear and intimidation before he ever got the chance to be trained in combat.

Gail put her hand lightly on Riley's shoulder. "We're teasing you, Riley," she told him. "You've got to lighten up just a bit, or you'll never make it around here."

Riley let out the breath he'd been holding. Intellectually, he'd known that they were joking around; Riley just didn't want Castiel to think that he was insulting his wife. He'd heard stories about guys who'd had Castiel's blade at their throats for even looking at her the wrong way.

"We're Cas and Gail," she said to Riley. "That's it. No more Sir, or Ma'am. I don't want to have to start a beauty regimen in the middle of a mission." She poked him. "Got it?"

Riley smiled. "Got it, Gail." He looked at Cas. "I'm really looking forward to training with you, Sir - I mean, Cas."

"That's the advanced class," Dean said, around a mouthful of food. He swallowed, then grinned. "We'll put you with a lightweight, first. Somebody like Frank. Or Sammy."

Frank threw his fork down on his plate. "That's it, Winchester. Your ass is mine."

Dean smirked. "How I wish you were a beautiful, willing woman saying that, instead of...well, you."

"I'm telling Nicole," Sam teased him.

Dean shrugged. "No sweat. I'll give you her cell phone number right now. Or, you could just wait, and tell her in person." He glanced at Gail, who was making her way back to her own chair. "She's actually flying back to Vancouver for a couple of weeks around Christmas. They've wrapped the shoot in Mongolia, and she's coming home soon. I was gonna ask you if you'd mind if I invite her for Christmas dinner. One of you guys could zap over to Vancouver and bring her to your house. What do you say?"

"Of course we can do that, Dean," Cas remarked. "She's welcome in our home any time."

"So, they've 'wrapped the shoot', have they?" Gail teased, nudging Dean on her way by. "Listen to you. You've got the lingo down, and everything."

Dean was just opening his mouth to retort when Tommy said, "Does anybody want to look at my admittedly brief presentation?" He glanced at Bobby. "That is, after we all thank Barry for the terrific meal, of course."

"Yeah, thanks," Jody said. She rose from her chair, patting her stomach. "You're a great cook, Barry. It's a good thing we'll be going on the road again shortly. A few more of these kinds of meals, and I'll start getting fat."

"Don't worry, Jodes, we'll just work it off you in the training room," Sam said, grinning.

After everyone had cleaned their plates, they took their seats around the living room TV, as per usual. Everyone was there from their group, except for Kevin and Becky. Cas had decided that he wanted the bare minimum along on this last mission. If the others wanted additional training, they could have it, but he didn't want to have to worry about a lot of people.

"So, Sam, are you all geeked out about going to Area 51?" Dean asked his brother.

"Yeah, kind of," Sam said, nodding.

"So, you believe in aliens?" Frank asked Sam.

Dean's brother shrugged. "Why not? If all of the other weird creatures we deal with exist, why not aliens?" he asked rhetorically.

"I wonder if aliens ever ask each other: 'Do you believe in humans'?" Chuck piped up, and everyone laughed.

Frank gave him a thumbs-up. "There's hope for you, yet," he told the Angel. Then Gail's brother smirked. "I just hope all that stuff about the probing isn't true. But just so everyone knows, I have about a million jokes running through my head on that subject."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "I'll just bet you do. But for now, I'm just going to go ahead and start. As everyone knows, Area 51 is notorious for being one of the most heavily guarded, Top Secret facilities in the United States, if not on the entire planet. You couldn't have picked a tougher place to get into if you'd tried."

"I'm aware, Tommy," Cas said with a grim smile. "I know that the Tablet itself is warded against Angels, but just as an experiment, I tried to wink myself to the base when you were all getting dinner. It's not just the Tablet that's warded, it's the entire site."

"That's interesting," Sam mused aloud. "Why would a military base ward their premises against Angels?"

"No wonder there are so many conspiracy theories about the place," Ethan said. "You would almost think that they know more than they're telling, then."

"Of course they do," Tommy said quickly. "Those guys, especially the high-ranking guys, know a lot of things about a lot of things."

"So, let me get this straight," Dean said. "These are the guys who deny the existence of aliens, and UFOs, but they ward against Angels? Who's kidding who?"

"Anyway, the base itself has many nicknames, including 'Dreamland', and 'Paradise Ranch'," Tommy went on. "Irony included, I'm sure. Lots of code names are used in connection with the place, even when it comes to the most innocuous things. And then, to add to the fun, sometimes even the code names have code names. Multi-layered security levels."

He put a slide on the computer and projected it onto the TV. "This is one of the few photos I was able to find online, and it's not even of the base itself. This is Edwards Air Force base. Area 51 is a remote detachment of the base, further back in the desert. Its primary purpose is unknown to the public. It's thought to be for the development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems."

"Double bill tonight," Dean announced. "Independence Day, and Men In Black."

Tommy smiled. He was used to this by now. Actually, so far, everyone was being pretty well-behaved. Maybe it was because they were more focused now. They were so close to the end. "It's true that the intense secrecy of the place means that the conspiracy theorists can go wild. Crashed spaceships, alien autopsies, the whole nine," he continued.

"Oh, you guys have gotta see 'Paul'," Frank enthused. "That's the best Area 51 movie, ever."

Gail knew her brother was talking about the film, but she got a funny feeling when he'd said that. She was thinking about their having left Paul back at the castle now, and now, she was getting another one of her feelings. Something had happened there, but she didn't know what. Hopefully, he would get that cell phone soon, and report in.

"The place is located in the southern portion of Nevada," Tommy went on, "about 83 miles northwest of Las Vegas."

"Excellent," Dean said. "Then we can swing by Vegas, on our way there."

"We're not going there to have fun, Dean," Cas chided him, somewhat predictably.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You said yourself that we had to take our time," he pointed out. "I just figured we could kill a day there. It's only going to take us a day to get there from here. Even less, the way Frank and I drive."

"We'll talk about all that, Dean," Cas said. "Please, let Tommy finish."

"And before you ask, Gail," Tommy said with a grin, "even though it's the desert out there, you're going at the right time of year. It should be very comfortable temperature-wise, even during the day. And it gets cool at night, too, just like Egypt."

"Good," she said, nodding. Hopefully, nobody would have to die in the acquisition of this particular Tablet, though. She still hadn't quite gotten over what they'd had to do there, and she knew that Cas felt the same way.

Dean snapped his fingers. "Top Gun. We've gotta watch Top Gun. Hey, Tommy, do you think you could get me an Air Force uniform? Maybe I could take one of those Army planes for a quick spin while we're there."

"You'd look great in a uniform," Tommy blurted out.

"Hellooo. Right here," Barry said, and everybody laughed.

"Sorry, Dean," Tommy said, grinning. Dean waved him off. Tommy and Barry were like family now, and that kind of teasing felt no different than the kind between him and Cas, or Frank. Dean supposed he had grown quite a bit in the past few years.

"So you think you'd be able to handle one of those fighter planes?" Frank said to Dean, lifting an eyebrow.

Dean shrugged. "Sure. I fly in video games all the time."

Tommy had been taking a sip of beer and he sputtered it out, laughing. "So you really think that's the same thing?" he said to Dean.

Sam was looking curiously at Tommy. "Do YOU know how to fly one of those?" Sam asked Barry's boyfriend.

Tommy sighed. He hadn't planned on getting into this, at least not right now. He still hadn't had the chance to talk to Barry about his conversation with Wyatt. But now, Barry was looking at him suspiciously, as if he might be putting two and two together. Dammit. He should have pulled Barry aside and had that conversation. But his boyfriend had been cooking up a storm, and Tommy had been doing his research, and then everyone had started to gather, and he'd run out of time. That was Tommy's excuse, and he was sticking to it.

"He certainly does," Barry said in a cool tone. "Tommy used to BE one of those men in uniform."

Tommy sighed again. Might as well get it over with. "Yes, I did," he told everyone. "When I was younger, I thought that being in the military would be pretty glamorous. It's like you said, Dean. Top Gun. An Officer And A Gentleman. I would be serving my country, looking sexy in a uniform, and get to be around lots of men."

"The gay guy trifecta," Frank quipped, and most of the group smiled. But Tommy threw his head back and laughed. "Exactly, Frank," he said, and then he cocked an eyebrow with amusement. "So what could be wrong with that picture, right?"

"Let me guess: you could be called to war," Jody said.

"Bingo," Tommy replied. "Now, mind you, this was in Canada, so the chances didn't seem nearly as likely as if I had been here in the States. But even though there were some aspects of it that I truly enjoyed, it wasn't for me. So then, once my hitch was up, I applied for a job on the Vancouver newspaper as a war correspondent. I don't miss it."

"None of it?" Barry said sharply, and Tommy's heart sank.

"No, none of it," Tommy said, reaching out to take Barry's hand. He gave it a squeeze, then said, "What my boyfriend is taking great pains not to say is that my ex-boyfriend has a fetish for military guys, and vice versa. The higher up the food chain they are, the more attractive they are to him. He's my source in Nevada. To put it delicately, he 'dates' Colonels and Generals from the base. That's how we're going to get you those credentials you'll need." He looked at Barry. "I'm sorry, hon. I was going to tell you about it when we were alone. I talked to Wyatt this afternoon, and he agreed to help us."

Barry took his hand away from Tommy's. "I figured as much," he said angrily.

"Don't be mad, hon," Tommy said. "I wouldn't have called him if we weren't desperate."

Barry said nothing. He just sat there tight-lipped, with his arms folded across his body.

An uncomfortable silence had fallen over the room now. There was obviously a lot more to this story, but it was really none of anybody's business. All of the humans and the Angels who were present knew how complicated things could be in those types of situations. If not from personal experience, then intellectually, at least.

"I've got it!" Frank said suddenly. All eyes turned to him. "Now starring: Tommy Cruise, in 'Crop-Top Gun'."

Crickets. Then Barry burst out laughing, and then everyone joined in. "That's terrible, Frank," Barry said, but he was wiping his eyes from laughter now.

Tommy looked at Gail's brother gratefully. He appreciated what Frank was doing. "Maybe I'll star in 'Independence Gay'," Tommy said, playing along. "Will Smith, in his prime? Smokin' hot."

"I'd say 'Men In Back', but I think that might be a whole other kind of movie," Dean said with a wicked grin. Jody gave him a sharp look. She'd allowed Robbie to stay at the table while he was eating, and he was still here, pushing the food around his plate. He hadn't eaten much at all, she noticed. He was probably upset that they'd be leaving again so soon. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be listening very closely to the adults at the moment. But, what did she expect? She couldn't tell everybody to stop being themselves just because little ears might hear. And she didn't want to be "that guy" all the time. So to speak. Sometimes she found herself being thrust into a parental role with some of the adult males around here, one that rivalled the one she had with Robbie, and sometimes she resented it a bit. Who had died and made her everyone's Mom, all of a sudden? But then, it occurred to her that there was a very simple answer to that question: basically, everyone. Demons had killed Sam and Dean's mother, and Frank's, as well. Bobby's mother was in Hell because she had committed suicide back in the day, and Jody's own Mom had died of cancer. The Angels never talked about their parentage, nor had Barry and Tommy. Gail's biological mother's and father's identities were a mystery, and Cas's parents were Adam and Eve. The Biblical Adam and Eve. Imagine that. Wow. No wonder everyone got a little messed up sometimes.

Somewhat apropos, Tommy said, "We'd better get back to business, before Cas lays down the law." He smiled.

Cas answered his smile, playing along. "I was actually trying to work out something to do with Studio 51 as opposed to Area 51, but I can't quite figure out the appropriate wording for the joke," Cas said. He looked at Gail. "I suppose I should have consulted the expert," Cas added, nodding his head to his wife.

Gail's lips twitched. "That has possibilities. I reserve the right to circle back to that one," she said.

"Anyway, back to more serious matters," Tommy said quickly, before anyone else could jump in. "If you were thinking about going there for a recon..." He put on another slide that showed a warning sign. "These are all posted around the perimeter. As you can see, it states that the taking of any photographs or the possession of any weapons in the vicinity of the base is strictly prohibited, and that the use of deadly force is authorized at their discretion. And they're not kidding about that, boys and girls. The area is so restricted that if any of their own pilots-in-training stray into that airspace, even accidentally, they face disciplinary action. There are also motion sensors all over the place. It's protected top to bottom, and side to side." He glanced uneasily at Barry. "That's why I had to resort to such drastic measures. We couldn't get anyone near the place without those Top Secret credentials that Wyatt's working on getting for you."

"Do you think there's anything to all that alien stuff?" Riley asked Tommy suddenly. Gail's eyebrows rose. This was the first time he'd ever spoken up like that. Maybe he was coming around a bit.

Tommy shrugged. "Who the hell knows? Everybody's got their own opinions about the subject. Rumours abound. Crashed UFOs, aliens being held there, either alive or dead. The development of weather control, time travel, and teleportation."

"Anybody else think that last part sounds really familiar? Are you sure you're not running that place, Cas?" Dean joked.

Cas looked at him, startled. He knew his friend had just been going for humour, but it occurred to Castiel now that the kinds of things that Tommy was talking about did sound very much like Angelic powers. And there were very powerful warding sigils present at the base. The situation was becoming increasingly more mysterious and puzzling to him.

"Well, I hate to tell you this, but that's all I have for now," Tommy told them.

"That's it?" Sam said, surprised.

Tommy sighed. "I'm afraid so, Sam. I told you, this place is locked down, tight." He looked sideways at Barry. "And even though I'm probably gonna have to sleep on the couch tonight, I thank God that we have Wyatt as a resource; otherwise, we'd be pledging allegiance to the Devil, because we would be screwed. And there aren't even any guarantees that he's going to be able to come through for us."

"I have faith that he will," Cas said firmly. "And, Barry? Try not to be too hard on Tommy. I imagine that you and Gail could have a good, long chat about your respective men and the unpleasant things we have to do sometimes, to get the job done," he concluded with a grim smile.

Barry looked at Tommy, and his boyfriend looked so miserable that Barry reached out for his hand. Tommy took it gratefully.

"And, speaking of my spouse," Cas continued, "since we are required to take our time to get to our destination once we get on the road, Gail has made a request that I have agreed to honour. We looked up possible routes on Google, and we found one that will take us through Denver."

Frank's head snapped up. Of course he would realize the significance of what Cas was getting at. Jody was looking at him curiously, as well.

"I had one of my feelings. That's the house that Frank and I grew up in," Gail explained to everyone. "Something's telling me that I need to go there." She looked at her brother. "If it's going to bother you, Cas and I can go by ourselves," she said to Frank. "But I think I need to go there. I just can't explain why."

Frank thought about it. "You know what? It might be kind of good to see the old place again," he mused. "Well, except for what happened the last time we were there, of course. That part wasn't so good." He was trying to be flip, hiding his real feelings about the subject.

Jody put her hand on his arm. "Are you sure, Frank?" she asked him. "I know that was a long time ago, but sometimes these things can all come flooding back, even if you think you're ready." She herself had some personal experience with a similar type of situation. She'd briefly visited her old house years ago to try to get some closure, but she had broken out into a cold sweat, then turned tail and fled. Just because you were a cop didn't mean you had no feelings.

Frank nodded, but: "If Gail thinks she can handle it, I'm pretty sure I can, too," he told his wife.

"We'll come with, if you want," Dean said. He spoke in a casual tone, but his offer of support was genuine. He wasn't so convinced that Gail or even Frank were going to be able to handle how they were going to feel when they went there. He knew very well what it was like when your childhood home turned into a crime scene. It didn't matter how old you were or how many years had passed. The second you walked through that door, you regressed to that scared little kid again, and all you saw was the horror.

"Thank you, Dean," Cas said to their friend. "I'm going to propose that we all remain here for two more days. There are a few things that need to be taken care of here, before we go."

"Oh? Like what?" Sam asked curiously.

Cas smiled. "Gail and I are going to buy a car, for one thing."

"What? Why?" Dean asked.

"Because I want to have some tunes on a road trip, and I'm tired of waiting for you to recognize good music when you hear it," Gail teased him.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Well then, I'd better come with you. Based on the car your hubby rented in Romania, you could end up coming home with a rolling piece of crap."

"I would welcome your advice, Dean," Cas said sincerely.

"Good. Then you and the wife can buy me lunch, in appreciation," Dean said, nodding. He looked at Sam. "You coming?"

"No, you guys go ahead," Sam replied. He was thinking about Oliver's journal. He hadn't mentioned anything about it to anyone, not even Dean. It was Gail's business, and until they found out what was in the journal, he felt like it should stay that way. This car-shopping trip was opportune, then. When they were off doing that, he could bring the journal to his FBI guy and get him working on it.

Jody also saw her opportunity. "Why don't you go with them?" she said to Frank, nudging him. "I know how much you like to look at cars."

Frank looked at her for a moment, and then he realized: she was going to take the opportunity to go to the doctor, and she wanted to go alone. Fair enough. He didn't care, as long as she went. "Sure, Jodes," he said easily. "I can help Cas negotiate the price. He'd probably just open up his wallet and give them the sticker price."

"You're right about that," Dean said, taking a sip of beer. "When we went to buy Gail's engagement ring, he took all the money he had on him out of his pocket and offered it to the guy."

Gail smiled. She could just picture that, too. She'd never heard that story from Dean's viewpoint before, and it was both sweet, and funny. She took Cas's hand and gave it a squeeze, and Cas smiled at her. "I would have paid any price to get you that ring," he told her earnestly. "It was the one you were supposed to have, and it was the one I knew you would love."

Frank rolled his eyes. "OK, then Dean and I are gonna have to do the negotiating. If Gail says she likes the colour of the thing, you'll just hand the guy your life's savings."

Gail's lips were twitching. "Maybe we should just use the two-finger system and get it for free, then. Declare it on our taxes as a business expense. You know, saving the world from Satan, and all that," she joked.

"Brand new car: twenty-six thousand dollars. Saving the world: priceless," Sam quipped.

Everyone laughed, and they slowly started to stand and clear away the dishes left over from supper. "I'll help you wash up," Jody said to Barry. She looked down at Robbie's plate. "Are you done pushing your food around?" she asked him. "Did any of it actually make it to your mouth?"

He looked up at her with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, Mom. I guess I just wasn't very hungry," he told her.

Jody sighed. "OK, go wash your hands. You can play video games for an hour, and then it's bedtime."

Once everything was cleared away and Robbie came into the living room, he said to Riley, "I wanna show these guys our FPS game."

"FPS? What's that?" Dean asked, puzzled.

"First Person Shooter," Riley replied with amusement. He guessed that maybe these older guys wouldn't know. They hadn't even had a gaming system when Robbie had first gotten here, the boy had told his new Angel friend. Riley had been amazed. Two single guys living in what was basically a great big Man Cave, and they didn't have a PS4? What was wrong with those guys? But then Ethan had explained that they were on the road a lot, and basically, they did full-time in real life what people pretended to do in this make-believe game. So then Riley had shut his mouth. That had been a bit of a wake-up call for him. What did you need video games for, when your life was basically a First Person Shooter game?

Robbie loaded the game now, and the men gathered around to watch. "I want to play with my Dad," Robbie said.

"That's because he knows I'm good," Frank said, grinning.

"I want to play with Cas," Riley said eagerly.

Gail was amused. What a bunch of little boys. "I'll tell you what," she said. "We'll have a tournament. That way, you'll all get to play. How does that sound?"

"Yay!" Robbie enthused.

"How is the game played?" Cas asked, curious. He sat down beside Robbie and reached his hand up to Gail. When she took it, he tugged gently, and then she was in his lap.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Hey, this is a rough, manly game," he told his sister. "No kissing and hugging."

"No, let 'em," Dean said. "If she distracts him, there's a lot less chance of him kicking our asses."

"The guy's been around since Creation," Frank shot back. "How's he gonna know how to use a PS4?"

"Hello, right here," Cas said, and Gail laughed merrily. "You tell them, sweetie," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Wipe the floor with them."

Cas gave her a squeeze. He was watching Robbie and Riley play now. They were demonstrating how to play the game. The concept looked simple enough to him. Your character had missions to perform, but there were enemies attacking, trying to prevent you from accomplishing your goal. He smiled grimly. His brother-in-law may be right about the mysteries of the video game system itself, but the concept was one that Cas understood all too well.

"OK, we've got..." Gail counted heads, "ten people playing. I'll write the names down and choose two at a time. They'll play for five minutes, and whoever gets the most points will move on to the next round. Then we'll play down until we have two people remaining, and then we'll crown a Grand and Supreme Champion. Sound OK, guys?"

"Sounds good," Sam said agreeably. "But I think you miscounted, Gail. I only see nine guys here, if Bobby's playing."

"Yeah, nine guys, and me," Gail said pertly. "I've got to at least try it."

She wrote down the names, put them in a popcorn bowl, and picked the first two. "Sam versus Ethan," she announced.

"Oh, good," Ethan said, moving to sit in Riley's spot on the couch.

"Good? Why good?" Sam asked, taking Robbie's place.

"Because I used to play these types of games with my brother all the time," Ethan told him, accepting a controller. "You've never played before. This'll be a piece of cake."

"Dude, Dean and I do this kind of thing full-time," Sam told him, smirking.

"Let the macho posturing begin," Gail said, rolling her eyes. But she was smiling.

At the end of the allotted time, Sam was ahead on points. "Told you so," he said to Ethan. The young Angel took his defeat gracefully enough, joking that maybe he should visit a shooting range while he was here on Earth to work on his rusty skills.

Gail reached into the bowl. "Bobby versus Cas," she announced.

Bobby limped over to the couch as Gail stood to allow Cas to slide over to make room for him. She sat back down beside Cas as Sam got up, ceding his spot to Bobby.

"This should be fun," Dean said, grinning.

"It'll be like the blind leading the blind," Bobby remarked, turning the controller over in his hands. "I've never done this before. Which button do you push for - " Suddenly, his character in the game was lying on the ground, mortally wounded.

"Sorry," Cas said, his lips twitching.

"Dammit! I wasn't ready yet!" Bobby swore. "Which button do I push to shoot?"

Riley showed him, and Bobby's character got up after a few more seconds. It shot at Cas's character, and Cas's character went down.

"Hah! Gotcha!" Bobby said delightedly.

"So you did," Cas said mildly.

The men were all smirking at each other now, and Gail couldn't help but smile, too. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Bobby so pleased with himself.

Cas's character got up, and Bobby shot it again, right away. "Gotcha again," Bobby said, and Dean put his hand up for Bobby to high-five.

"But, I was not prepared," Cas protested, and Bobby snickered. "How many enemies do you know of that sit around and wait for you to be prepared?" he asked Cas.

Cas thought about that for a moment, and then he nodded. "All right, Bobby. Fair enough," he said.

Then, when Cas's character "respawned", as Robbie called it, Cas pressed another button on the controller and suddenly, his character was holding a machine gun. He shot Bobby's character with it, and then as soon as Bobby respawned, Cas shot him again, and again.

"Come on, Cas," Bobby complained. "You're not even giving me enough time to get up, let alone to try to defend myself."

"Oh. I wasn't aware that enemies behaved that way," Cas said innocently. The men all laughed as Bobby frowned. He tried pressing different buttons on his controller, but he only succeeded in moving his character back and forth, and side to side.

"It looks like you're dancing, Bobby," Frank said.

"How did he get a damned machine gun?" Bobby fumed. Then Cas shot him again, and the men laughed some more.

Bobby glared at Cas. "You're lucky I'm a human now," Bobby seethed.

"Is that right?" Cas said. He was trying to suppress a grin.

As soon as Bobby's character got up, Gail put her hand on Cas's arm and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "You're very good at this, for someone who's never played before," she complimented him. He turned to look at her, smiling. "Thank you," Cas said, and Gail kissed him on the lips.

"Thanks, Gail," Bobby said. While she had been distracting Cas, Bobby's character had respawned and shot Cas's character.

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, sweetie," Gail said to her husband. But of course, she'd done that on purpose. The score was extremely lopsided now, in Cas's favour.

The men played for another couple of minutes, and then Gail said, "Time. Cas is the winner."

Bobby rose and moved slowly away from the couch, mumbling something about a defective controller.

Back into the bowl Gail went, and then she smiled. "Riley, and me."

"You set that up on purpose," Dean accused her jokingly. "You know there's no way he's gonna shoot you."

"OK, number one, Angels don't cheat," Gail said huffily.

Dean coughed into his hand, uttering a word that sounded similar to "bull spit". Sam grinned.

Gail was trying not to smile, too. "OK, well, I don't, anyway," she retorted. She looked at Riley, who was tentatively picking up the controller that Bobby had dropped on the coffee table. "You'll shoot me, won't you, Riley?" she asked him sweetly.

He regarded her uncertainly. "I will if Cas agrees not to hold it against me," Riley said with a half-smile.

"I will agree to no such thing," Cas said archly, handing the controller he'd been holding to Gail. Then he smiled at the young Angel, to show that he was kidding. "Shoot away, Riley," he said. "My wife can take care of herself."

"God help you, Riley," Frank quipped. There was more laughter.

Gail was looking down at the controller now. She felt just as lost as Bobby had been. She'd seen these things before, of course, but now that she was holding one, she realized how many different buttons there were on it. Crap. Maybe she shouldn't have encouraged Riley not to be intimidated by her and Cas. Riley was going to blow her right off the map.

She smiled nervously at the young Angel. "On second thought, Cas might just pull his blade on you if you shoot me," she said to Riley. Then she looked at Cas. "What button did you push to get that machine gun?" she asked him.

Cas shrugged. "I have no idea," he told her.

Frank rubbed his hands together. "Oooh, this is gonna be good. Ten bucks Riley kills her twice, before she even presses a button."

Sam was shaking his head. "Oh, I don't know, Frank. Gail's very competitive. Twenty bucks she annihilates him."

"I'm with Sammy," Dean said, grinning. "Sorry, Riley. Let us know where we should send the flowers. She might even be more ruthless than her husband, you know."

"Yeah, but she's uncoordinated," Frank said, leaning back in his chair.

"SHE'S right here, and SHE'S gonna kick all of your asses!" Gail fumed. "Sorry, Riley, but you're going down."

They started to play, and Riley shot Gail's character immediately. Damn. Then she respawned, and he shot her again. She was starting to get frustrated. When she came back to life, she started mashing buttons at random, moving left and right. Her character was weaving so much that Riley started missing his shots, and then suddenly, his character was down. Gail had lucked out and shot him.

"Aha! A moral victory!" she exclaimed. While he was down, she started pressing more buttons and moving her character around a bit more. She ran around a corner, and came face to face with a big, ugly monster. It reached out and clawed at her character, and she yelled, "Aaah! What the hell?"

"Sorry, Gail! I thought we'd cleared this area," Riley said sheepishly. His character respawned, and he made it run around the corner. Then he killed the monster. "There," Riley said. "Now, just wait a minute, and you'll heal."

She thanked him, then she shot his character, and all the men laughed. Gail looked at Riley and shrugged. "You know what they say, right? All's fair in love and war," she told him. "Sorry, Riley, but these guys were right: I'm both competitive, and ruthless." She looked at Frank. "And I am NOT uncoordinated," she said to her brother. "Oh, I can't wait to whip your butt."

Riley respawned, but after that, it was pretty much over. Gail was weaving her character all around and mashing buttons indiscriminately now. He couldn't plan an attack because her play was so erratic, and he couldn't defend himself because she was currently unleashing a barrage of ammunition. At one point, she pressed one of the buttons and suddenly, her character had a live grenade in his hand.

"Aaaah!" she yelled. "What the hell is that?"

"It's a live grenade," Sam said, amused.

"Well, what am I supposed to do with it?" she exclaimed, panicking.

"What do you think you're supposed to do with it?" Dean said sarcastically. "Don't be such a girl! Throw it!"

"Which button do I push to do that?!" Gail shouted.

"Rest in pieces, kiddo," Frank quipped. He was enjoying this immensely.

By some miracle, she found the right button, just before she exploded herself. Her character lobbed the grenade at Riley's character and blew him up. He'd been too much of a gentleman to shoot her character while she was panicking about the grenade.

"Time," Cas announced. He'd taken over the role of timekeeper while Gail was playing. "Gail wins."

Riley smiled at her. "Good game," he said, putting his controller down on the coffee table.

Gail smiled back at him. What a good sport he was. She knew she was a poor player, really. "Thanks, Riley," she said. "And...sorry."

She reached into the bowl. "Guess what? Epic matchup!" she announced. "Dean versus Frank."

"Yahtzee!" Dean exclaimed. "Hand that controller over here, Mrs. Buzzkill."

She glared at him. "Oh, there'll be some killing going on, all right," Gail said, handing the controller to him. "You'd better pray you don't make it through to the next round."

"He won't, don't worry," Frank said cheerfully, plunking himself down on the couch next to Cas. "You're done, Winchester."

"We'll see about that," Dean retorted, flexing his arms.

The two men played for their allotted time and the action was fast and furious, but Dean emerged the victor, by a narrow margin. "Dammit!" Frank exclaimed.

"Sorry, Frank." But Dean was grinning. He stood up and extended his hand to Gail's brother to shake, but before Frank could shake it, Dean moved his hand away. "Psych," he said, smirking.

"Nobody likes a sore winner, Dean," Frank grumbled. He walked over to where Robbie sat, patiently waiting for his turn. "You have my full permission to kick his butt," Frank said to Robbie. "In fact, there are untold rewards waiting in your future if you do."

"Well, he's got to beat Chuck, first," Gail announced. "That's our last matchup."

Robbie moved forward eagerly, and Chuck picked up the other controller, gesturing to everyone. "We, who are about to die, salute you," Chuck said dryly.

But once they started to play, Chuck discovered that he was feeling a little bit more competitive than he really should be. He didn't want a kid to beat him in front of all these guys; he'd probably never hear the end of it. Then he thought about that. What did that say about him? Did he really need their approval so badly? But on the other hand, it wouldn't be honest to throw the game either, and he didn't think Frank would want him to coddle Robbie. Or was that just a rationalization on his part? But near the end of the allotted time, when Chuck finally eased up a bit due to his conscience, he was so far ahead on points that it was a foregone conclusion.

"Time," Gail called. "Game goes to Chuck, who gets the honourary meanie badge," she added, grinning.

Chuck shrugged. "Hey, I'll beat you, too," he said, smirking. "I don't discriminate."

"Oooh, I'm shaking," she retorted. "OK, names are going back in the bowl. Next round." She mixed up the five remaining names, then drew. "Cas versus Chuck. So, there is such a thing as karma."

"Oh, man," Chuck lamented.

Cas smiled. "Don't worry, Chuck. I'm totally disregarding the fact that you just said you were going to beat up on my wife."

"Oh, you are so dead," Dean said gleefully. "Hold on; let me get another beer for this."

"I'll get in on that," Frank said, pulling Robbie into his lap and tickling him. He was proud of the boy for taking his loss to Chuck so well. A few months back, Frank might have been angry with Chuck for not stepping aside and letting Robbie have the victory. But, no longer. Robbie had to learn that life was tough, and you didn't always win. Frank had certainly learned that same lesson the hard way, when his parents had been slaughtered by Demons. At least this was only a game. Nobody was really going to die tonight.

But Chuck was going to die virtually, and he was going to die plenty. Chuck had seemed capable enough using a controller, but Cas knew how to kill, whether in real life or in a game. Once the men started to play, Chuck didn't stand a chance. Cas beat him handily.

"I would say I'm sorry, Chuck, but Angels aren't supposed to lie," Cas said, smiling.

Chuck sighed. "That's OK, Cas. I may have had my problems from time to time, but I can certainly distinguish between reality and a video game," he said affably. "The better man won, in this instance." Then he smiled. "I hope you play Gail in the final, though. There's no way you're going to beat her."

"Yeah, how's that going to work?" Sam asked, curious. "There are only three of us left, now."

"You'll play Dean," Gail said to him. "Then whichever of the two of you wins, I'll put that guy's and Cas's names in the bowl, and I'll play whoever I draw. Then whoever wins that match will play the other guy for the Ultimate Championship."

"Sounds fine to me," Dean said, shrugging. "I'll kick Sammy's butt, then yours, and then it'll be me and Cas for the title. The World Series of badassness. This is gonna be fun." He grinned, flexing his arms.

"'Badassness'? Really, Dean?" Sam said, shaking his head at his brother.

"Never mind, Sammy. Prepare to meet your fate," Dean said cheerfully.

Everyone gathered around, preparing to watch, as the brothers did a little more trash-talking. Then Gail said, "Ready, set, go," and the battle was on. Both men had had the advantage of watching the more experienced players by now, as well as the more naturally skilled ones, like Cas. Sam was using stealth tactics, while Dean was on the offensive, hitting his younger brother with everything he had.

"This is actually pretty fun," Dean said happily. He had just lobbed a grenade at his brother's character, blowing him up.

"Yeah," Sam said calmly. His character respawned, and he made it run around the corner. Dean hadn't been paying attention because he'd been looking around at their audience, smirking at having blown his brother up so spectacularly. So Dean's character ran around the corner and then Sam attacked him, stabbing him with a knife. Some attacks were worth more points than others. Sam had figured out by watching everyone that these types of assaults were worth more, because they were riskier.

"Hey!" Dean said indignantly. "No fair!"

Sam grinned. "What? It was entirely fair. You weren't paying attention. Don't do your end zone dance before you score."

"OK, that's it. No more Mister Nice Guy," Dean fumed. "Prepare for shock and awe." He respawned, then he attacked Sam's character right away, then kept on attacking him. Sam tried to make his character fight back, but Dean was being too aggressive. When Gail called "Time," Dean was ahead on points.

"Yes!" Dean exclaimed. He dropped the controller on the table and pumped his fist. "In your face, Sammy." Then Dean looked at Gail. "You're next," he said, pointing his finger at her.

Oh, crap, Gail thought. There was no way. Dean was going to kill her, many, many times. And then he was going to do a victory dance over her corpse, and then she was never going to hear the end of it. And she was an eternal being.

"Which button do you push for the rocket launcher?" Gail quipped nervously.

Dean gave her a double-take, then he looked at Robbie. "Is there one of those?"

"But you might not be playing Gail. You might be playing me," Cas said to Dean, as Gail put the pieces of paper back in the bowl.

"Or, Cas could end up playing Gail," Sam pointed out.

Dean's smile grew. "Even better," he said cheerfully. "You know he's not going to kill her. He's not even gonna try. So I'll end up playing her for the championship, anyway."

Gail picked one of the pieces of paper out of the bowl and unfolded it. "Cas," she announced dramatically.

"Yahtzee," Dean said, sitting back in his chair. "Perfect. Gives me time to finish my beer. Warning: this'll be five minutes of the most pathetic, one-sided game playing the world has ever seen. Might as well not even give Cas a controller." He passed his to Gail. "Here," Dean said to her. "Shoot him once, and then make sure your affairs are in order before you and I play for the championship."

Gail looked at Cas. "Sweetie, you're going to have to shoot me. We need this guy to lose, or we're never going to hear the end of it." She jerked her head at Dean.

Cas smiled, but he said nothing, just picked up the other controller.

"I'll be the timekeeper," Sam said. "Ready, you two?" Cas and Gail nodded. "And...go," Sam said.

Gail moved her character over to stand in front of Cas's character. "OK, here I am," she told him. "Just let me know when you're going to do it, and then I'll close my eyes."

"Come on, Gail!" Dean exclaimed. "If you're not even gonna try, then why are you playing?"

"Well, I'm not going to shoot you," Cas told her, "so I guess you'll have to shoot me."

"Well, somebody's gonna have to shoot somebody; otherwise, how are you going to decide who plays Dean?" Frank pointed out, quite logically.

"Hold still," Cas said to her, as he moved his character closer to hers. She scrunched up her face. Here it came. But she had told him to do it, hadn't she?

Cas's character bumped against Gail's character, but he didn't stab her, and he didn't shoot her. "What are you doing?" she asked him curiously.

Tommy was standing behind the couple now, and he was grinning. He had a pretty good idea of what Cas was doing. If more video games had guys doing stuff like that with each other, he and Barry might just have to buy a console.

"I'm kissing you," Cas said, his lips twitching.

Dean threw his hands up in disgust. "Oh, come on!" he exclaimed.

Gail started to move her character back and forth. "I'm kissing you, too," she told Cas.

"Now, that's my kind of game," Barry said. He had come down the hallway with Jody just in time to notice what they were doing.

Dean was losing his mind. Cas and Gail were smiling at each other now. "I was considering shooting you," Gail said to her husband, "but just the fact that we're making Dean so crazy makes this so much more fun."

"By all means, then, go ahead and shoot me," Cas said mildly.

"But I don't want to shoot you," she stated. "I love you."

"That's why I don't want to shoot YOU," Cas told her.

"Oh, for God's sake!" Dean yelled, exasperated. He leaned forward and snatched the controller from Gail's hand, shooting Cas's character. "There. Now it'll be me and Mrs. Kissyface for the championship," Dean said grumpily. He looked at Cas, rolling his eyes. "Try to grow a pair before we go car shopping tomorrow, Cas, willya?"

"Point of order," Sam said. "You won't be playing Gail for the championship, you'll be playing Cas."

Dean lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah? How do you figure that?"

Sam smiled slyly. "Gail's disqualified. She let an unauthorized player take her turn."

"What do you mean?" Dean exclaimed. "That doesn't even make any sense!"

Gail was smiling now. "Sure it does, Dean. It's like batting out of order in baseball. After all, where would we be without rules? I guess I'm disqualified, then." She shrugged.

"But I grabbed it out of your hand!" Dean protested.

"I'll have to have a talk with Gail about guarding her possessions more carefully, then," Cas said, smiling at Dean. "But in the meantime, I seem to have grown a pair just in time for our match. Thank you for your advice, Dean." He gestured with his controller. "I'm ready when you are."

"Dude, you are beyond dead," Sam said to his brother.

Cas's smile widened. He looked at Gail. "Count it down, Mrs. Kissyface."

"With pleasure, Mister Kissyface," she said, smirking. "Ready, set, go!"

Cas's character had a grenade in each hand, and he dropped them both on Dean's character, exploding him in spectacular fashion. "When you said that I should grow a pair, I presume this is what you meant?" Cas said cheerfully.

Dean's character respawned. "Or, I could do this," Cas said, and he shot Dean multiple times. "Or this," Cas said, pushing the button for the machine gun. Then he pushed another button, and his character was holding a bazooka. "I imagine this would be effective, as well," Cas said calmly.

"At this point, I think I would just stay dead, if I were you," Frank quipped to Dean. "It'll hurt less."

Dean fought valiantly, but at the end of the five minutes, Cas was way ahead on points, having killed his friend's character in a number of gruesome and innovative ways. When Gail announced that time was up, Cas put his controller down on the table and smiled at Dean. "That was enjoyable," he said mildly.

Dean opened his mouth to say something sarcastic, and then he closed it. Bottom line was, Cas had beat him, straight up. "Congrats," he sighed.

"Way to go, Cas," Frank said, smiling. He stood, lifting Robbie off his lap. "I'll shake your hand after I get this guy to bed."

"We should make up a trophy, or something," Sam said. "Make this an annual thing."

Cas took Gail's hand. "I think we'll call it a night. We'll come by early tomorrow morning, and Dean and Frank can take us to the dealership to get our car."

"Fine," Dean said shortly. "See you."

"See you, who?" Gail teased him.

Dean glared at her. "See you, O Supreme Champion," he said to Cas.

"That's better," Gail said. "And you can call me Mrs. Supreme Champion."

"You'd better pop out of here before I call you something you might not like as much," Dean growled at her.

Gail pretended to look around. "When did Crowley get here?" she quipped. Then she blew Dean a kiss.

By the time he picked up the controller to throw in her direction, she and Cas had gone.

Gail was cleaning their clothes and Cas was folding each item as she gave it to him, then putting it away.

"Dean was so mad," she laughed. "That was funny."

"It's a little too easy to drive him crazy, sometimes," Cas said, nodding. "He should be more inscrutable." He accepted one of her tops, deftly folding it and putting it in the bureau.

She watched him admiringly. "You're very good at that," she told him. "Just like you're very good at a lot of things. I was surprised to see how good you were at that game, but I guess I really shouldn't have been."

Cas smiled, pleased by her compliments. "My hand-to-eye coordination has always been fairly good," he remarked. He moved to the closet to hang up the pair of pants she'd given him.

"And you have very good hands," Gail continued, smiling.

"Once you figure out the correct buttons to push, it's actually quite enjoyable," he said.

She smiled more widely now. "That's certainly true."

Cas could hear the smile in her voice, and he turned around. "I have the feeling we're not talking about the game anymore," he said to her.

"Game? What game?" she quipped.

He walked back to the bed and sat down beside her, taking her hands in his. "I love you, Mrs. Supreme Champion," Cas told her, kissing her on the lips.

Gail laughed. "Maybe I'll sign our Christmas cards that way this year. Or the one we send to Dean, at least." Then Cas laughed. She was so cute, and so funny. "Now, let me see how good those hands of yours really are," Gail said mischievously.

Frank, Sam and Dean were having coffee when Cas and Gail arrived at the bunker the next morning.

"All hail the Supreme Champion," Frank said, lifting his mug in salute.

Robbie was sitting in Frank's lap, and he'd been trying to beg a sip of coffee from his Dad for what seemed like an hour now. But Frank had refused. That was all they needed, the kid running around here all hopped up on caffeine. Jody was already gone; she'd left early this morning. Her doctor was back in Sioux Falls, which was about a six-hour drive from the bunker. Frank had asked his wife if she shouldn't just call or e-mail ahead first, to make sure she got seen. But Jody had shaken her head, stating that wouldn't be necessary. She and her doctor went way back. They had a personal relationship, as well as a professional one. It didn't matter if Jody just showed up out of the blue. Nelly would see her. Then Jody would probably stop by the station house for a bit, shoot the breeze, and then head back home.

"Uncle Cas!" Robbie exclaimed. He hopped off Frank's lap and ran over to where Cas and Gail stood. "Come and play video games with me!"

Cas smiled, looking down at the boy. "I'm sorry, Robbie, but I can't right now. Your father and your Uncle Dean are going to go with your Aunt Gail and myself so that we can buy a car."

"Cool," Robbie said. He turned back to Frank. "Where's Mom?"

"She went to visit her cop friends this morning," Frank told him. "She'll be back later."

Robbie frowned. He knew his Dad wasn't exactly lying to him, but he wasn't telling him the whole truth, either. But there was nothing Robbie could do about it, he supposed. Not everything was his business. His Dad had told him once, and his Uncle Dean had agreed, that women were mysterious sometimes, and they liked their privacy. Even if you were married to one, she would let you know what was your business, and what wasn't.

"I'm taking off, too," Sam said. He drained his mug and stood, crossing the kitchen to put it in the dishwasher. "I'll see you guys later. Happy car shopping," he added, leaving the kitchen.

"Where's Sam going?" Frank asked Dean.

Dean shrugged. "Dunno. He didn't say. We're not those two," he said, nodding his head towards Cas and Gail. "We're not joined at the hip." He rose and put his coffee mug in the sink, and Frank did the same.

Gail was bemused. "Hey, look at us. We're the Siamese Angels," she said to Cas.

"That's not politically correct," Frank said, grinning. "That should probably be 'conjoined Angels'."

Cas smiled. "Conjoined," he said. "I like the sound of that."

Dean rolled his eyes. "You would. Let's go, O Supreme Wuss - I mean, Champion."

They all laughed. "See you later, kiddo," Frank said to Robbie.

"We'll come and get you when we get back," Gail said to the boy, "and you can be the first one to come out to the garage and see our new car."

"Okay," Robbie said, and he ran off down the hall.

Gail looked at Frank. "You're great with him," she said to her brother, smiling. "Almost as good as you were with me."

Frank looked at her for a minute, and then he pointed his finger at Cas. "You buy her any damn kind of car she wants," he said in a thick voice. He cleared his throat. "I've gotta go take a leak. Hang on." Then he left the room abruptly.

Dean was smiling at Gail. "You're pretty OK sometimes, you know that?" he said to her. Then, after a pause, he added, "I mean, you know, for a girl. Even if you do cheat at video games."

"Hey, I didn't cheat, you grabbed the thing off me," she retorted. "And you're probably the only one that Cas would put up with that from, too."

Dean puffed out his chest. "That's because he likes me the best."

Frank came back, and the quartet walked into the garage, the human men now arguing over who Cas liked the best. Gail was smiling widely. It was the weapons museum all over again. It was almost as if Cas was their father and they were brothers, vying for his attention and approval.

Cas opened the back door for Gail.

"He likes me the best, because he came to get me. He had Crowley release me from Hell and turn me back into a human," Frank bragged, getting into the passenger seat in the front of the Impala. He liked it there because Sam was so tall that the seat was already adjusted to the right place.

"Oh, big whoop," Dean shot back. "He actually came right into Hell to get me."

Gail shook her head. This had to be the strangest game of one-upmanship ever played. No wonder they didn't have too many friends outside their little circle.

"I love you both equally," Cas said, settling himself into the back seat beside Gail. He had missed being back here with her. He took her hand. "But it's Gail who I love the most."

She moved forward in her seat and poked her head in-between Dean and her brother. "Suck it," she said pertly. Then she smiled, settling back and snuggling against Cas as Dean pulled the Impala out of the garage.

"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice, Nelly," Jody said to her doctor.

"I'll always move you to the head of the list, you know that," Dr. Vukovic said. "How've you been, Jody? How's Project Pregnancy going?"

Jody frowned. "It's hit a snag, unfortunately. Frank and I have been too busy working on another project. I can't discuss the details. It's sort of an undercover deal. But we hope to be finished with it soon, and then I'm going to devote myself to it full time."

Nelly smiled uncertainly. "Oh. Well, that's good, I guess. Did you just pop in to say hi, then?"

"No," Jody replied. "I've got another lump in my breast. I know I'm fibro-whatever, but this one feels new, and I promised Frank I'd get it checked out. And you know about my Mom. So, I guess it's not a bad idea to stay on top of these things."

"OK, let's have a look, then," Nelly said. "Do you want to go next door to the examination room?"

"Nah, you can cop a feel right here," Jody said good-naturedly. "Or feel a cop, more accurately."

Nelly smiled, rising from her desk. "You and Frank HAVE been married for a while," she said to Jody. "His sense of humour's rubbing off on you. I'll have to meet him, sometime."

"I'd like that," Jody responded. She took her T-shirt off over her head and stood, unhooking her bra. "We'll set something up, after this case we're working on is over."

Her doctor friend palpated Jody's breasts. "I can feel it," Nelly said. "I don't think it's anything more ominous than just another cyst, but because of your age and your mother, we'd better send you for some mammograms."

Jody nodded. "I thought you might say that. The problem is, we're only in Lebanon for another couple of days, and then we're going back out."

"No problem," Nelly said. She was reaching for the phone as Jody put her bra back on. "I'm calling the medical clinic in Lebanon right now. They'll put you on the fast track. I may have to embellish the facts a little, but they'll be taking you tomorrow, I promise."

"Thanks a lot, Nelly," Jody said, pulling her T-shirt back on.

"Are you kidding?" her doctor said. "I owe you my life, Jody. If you hadn't shot my stalker, I would still be living in fear, afraid to go outside, or even answer my phone. Things most people take for granted. I don't have nightmares any more, and I don't wake up in a cold sweat, picturing him standing over me."

Jody smiled grimly. "Well, that wasn't exactly following procedure. But we both know that he was never going to give up. More often than not, restraining orders are a joke. They're pieces of paper that male judges issue, thinking they're doing something about domestic violence, and stalkers. I'm not saying those men don't care, I'm just saying that sometimes they just don't get that a scrap of paper isn't going to stop a psychopath. So, sometimes you have to go a little off book."

"Well, I thank God for you every day, Jody," Dr. Vukovic said. "I tried to go through the proper channels. You know I did. But he wasn't going to stop until he'd driven me crazy or killed me."

"That's why it was lucky that I was over at your place when he broke in," Jody said casually, "and it was lucky that I happened to have my service revolver with me. When he attacked you, I warned him to stop, but he wouldn't. So, I had no choice."

The women looked at each other for a moment. At least, that was the way that the police report had read, when Jody had submitted it. But she hadn't felt the slightest bit of guilt about it at the time, and she didn't feel guilty about it now. If Romania had served any purpose, besides the acquisition of the Tablet of course, it had served as a reminder to Jody that monsters could not be reasoned with, and they did not let pieces of paper stop them from hurting people.

Nelly gestured with the phone receiver. "I'm still on hold with these people. Why don't you take off, and I'll text you the appointment time as soon as I get it?"

Jody nodded. "Thanks, Nelly." She left the doctor's office and took the elevator down to the parking garage, and then she drove over to the precinct.

Sam took Oliver's journal to his contact at the FBI, and he was told that the process could take anywhere from six weeks to several months, depending on how busy things were at the lab. Sam said that would be fine. Like everyone else, Sam hoped they would have Lucifer dealt with sooner rather than later, but realistically, when had things ever gone that easy for them? But at least the book was in the proper hands now.

He was in the process of walking towards the spot where he'd parked the car when he stopped and called Quinn, on an impulse. Sam told her about having dropped off the journal, and then there was silence. Dammit. What should he say next? Though he'd had his share of hookups, it had been quite a while since Sam had actually asked a girl out on a date.

"Sam? Are you still there?" Quinn said.

"Sorry," Sam apologized. "I was wondering if you were free to get together for lunch. Or dinner tonight, if you'd prefer."

Quinn smiled. "Are you doing anything right now? If you want to come by here, I can make us lunch. Actually, you'd be bailing me out, big time. I was planning on going up to the attic. Believe it or not, I haven't been up there since I bought the house. I'll bet you there are about a million spider webs up there, and God only knows what else. I know I'll have to deal with it at some point, but I keep putting it off."

Sam smiled. "I can go up there with you, if you want. I'm an expert spider-killer, and I'm very tall, as I'm sure you've noticed. I can clear out a lot of cobwebs for you."

Quinn shook her head slowly. "Why would you want to do that, Sam?"

"Maybe I want an excuse to get to know you a bit better," he said lightly.

There was a moment's silence, and then Quinn said, "I'd like that, Sam. Come on over, then, whenever you like."

Sam hung up the phone and got in the car. He turned on the radio and found a pop station, then turned up the volume. He glanced over at the passenger seat, picturing Gail sitting there, enjoying the music. "I wish only good things for you and Cas," he told her. "I'm moving on, Gail. I have to. I love you, I love you both." Then he started the car and drove away.

Frank and Dean were arguing.

"They've got to get that Charger," Frank said to the elder Winchester. "You heard the guy. If Cas throws a few grand more his way, he can have the classic 1970 Charger the dealer is selling for his buddy. Do you know how rare those are, Dean?"

"A Dukes Of Hazzard car?" Dean scoffed. "What's so cool about that?"

"It's not orange, and it won't have a confederate flag on it," Frank shot back. "It's blue, and it's got a 426 Hemi. I'd sell my grandmother for that car. It's the opportunity of a lifetime."

"It's blue?" Gail asked her brother. "What kind of blue?"

"All she cares about is the colour," Dean said to Frank, "and I don't think Cas cares at all. So, why is this so important to you?"

"Because all I've ever wanted all my life as far as cars go is a '70 Dodge Charger," Frank told Dean. "But I could never afford one. They're rare, and they're expensive, because they're so rare. When Cas gave me my nest egg, I searched and searched online, but I couldn't find one. That's how rare they are, Dean. So they have to buy it. Then I can live vicariously. At least I'll be able to ride in it, and maybe Cas will let me drive it, once in a while."

"Why don't YOU just buy this one, then?" Dean asked him.

Frank let out a frustrated breath. "Because I'm a father now, Dean. It wouldn't be responsible of me to spend that kind of money on a car I don't need. I already have a perfectly good car."

Dean stared at him. Wow. He never would have thought of it like that. Frank was a stand-up guy, all right.

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess we'll have to take it," Cas said quietly. He looked at Gail. "If that's all right with you, of course."

She shrugged. "Sure. As long as it's not a lemon and it has a decent radio, I'm happy. And, it's blue. You know how I feel about that colour," she said, touching Cas's cheek.

An hour or so later, they were sitting in the reception area of the dealership, waiting for the salesman to return with the car. Frank was the first to hear the low rumble of the engine. He looked up sharply. That was the sound of a quality automobile.

Then Dean heard it, and he looked at Frank, grinning. "Sounds like we're about to welcome another Baby into the family," Dean quipped. He looked at Cas. "You'll have to think of another nickname, though. 'Baby' is mine."

"Oh, please tell me we can borrow it to send out announcement cards, though," Gail said happily. "Can you imagine how many people we'd mess up if we sent out cards announcing we're welcoming a Baby into our family?"

"And it's blue, denoting a boy," Cas chipped in. "Maybe I should buy some cigars."

Dean looked at Cas, then did a double-take. "That's officially the funniest thing I've ever heard you say," Dean told his friend.

"Then why aren't you laughing?" Cas asked him, curious.

"I guess because I'm so shocked," Dean replied.

"I've been trying for years to tell you I'm funny, Dean," Cas said, smiling. "I don't know why you never seem to believe me."

The salesman came in the front door and announced, "Your car is here, Sir."

Cas stood. "Excellent," he said to the man. He looked at Frank and Dean, who were craning their necks to look outside. "Why don't you two go outside and have a look at the car?" Cas said to the men. "Gail and I will settle the deal, and then we'll be right out."

"Maybe we should stay here with you," Frank said uncertainly. They'd already agreed on a price, but he was afraid that if the salesman got Cas alone, he might rip him off. Up the price at the last minute, or something.

"No, what we're going to do is walk outside and look at the car, first," Gail said to them. "I'm not going to spend that much money on a car I haven't even laid eyes on. And Frank and Dean can have a look under the hood and give us their expert opinions."

Cas smiled. "As usual, you are right. And I don't even need that laminated card to tell me so." He and Gail laughed, while Frank and Dean exchanged puzzled glances.

They walked outside, and Frank's face lit up immediately. He rushed over to the car, admiring it. "I think I'm in love," he enthused, putting his hand reverently on the car.

"Won't Jody be jealous?" Cas joked.

"No, she'd totally understand," Frank said, smiling. He looked at Dean. "So?"

"Let's get a look under the hood, first," Dean said, approaching the front of the car. Frank popped the hood, and both men gazed down with looks of rapture on their faces.

"Now that's some good American muscle, there," Dean acknowledged, nodding his head. "If I was ever gonna cheat on Baby..." He looked around furtively, as if the Impala could hear him.

"So, is it a good car?" Cas asked the men.

"Good? Good?" Frank sputtered. "Cas, you have no idea. This is the Holy Grail. The perfect car." He had wanted to make a joke about two Angels owning the Holy Grail of cars, but Frank supposed he'd better wait on that. The salesman was standing there staring at him as if he thought Frank was going to hotwire the car and take off with it. Not that the thought hadn't crossed his mind, of course. "Can you start her up, buddy?" he asked the salesman. "I just need to see, and hear, for a minute."

Dean was smirking as the man started the engine up and Frank made a noise that Jody was probably very used to hearing in the privacy of their room. But Dean had to admit that it was a fantastic car. Much better than he'd thought it would be.

Gail came around to the driver's side of the car. "Can you put on the radio for a minute?" she asked the salesman. He switched it on, and a pop song was playing. "Now, that's what I'M talking about," she said, starting to dance.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Way to ruin the moment, Gail."

"I'm ruining nothing," she retorted. "Is it your car, Mister Smarty-Pants?"

Cas was smiling. He looked at Dean and Frank. "Do you both agree it's a good car, then?" Dean said, "Yeah, Cas, it is." Fran nodded so enthusiastically that he looked like a bobblehead statue. Then Cas looked at Gail. "I know you already know what I think," she said to him, and his smile grew wider. Yes, he did. Cas took her hand. "Let's go inside," he said to the salesman. "Stay out here, and we'll be right back," he said to Frank and Dean. Frank nodded absently. He was way too busy ogling the car to care what Cas was saying. But Dean looked at Cas questioningly. Cas sighed, and he held his hand up in an "I've got this" gesture. He appreciated his friends wanting to look out after his welfare, but Cas was not nearly as naive as they seemed to think he was. It was just that money was not nearly as important to him as it was to humans. If he had to part with more of it to make his loved ones happy, he was glad to do that.

A short while later, Cas and Gail came back outside, and Cas had the car keys in his hand. Frank and Dean approached them.

"So, everything went OK?" Frank asked them.

"Yeah, it just took a few minutes longer than we thought to get the paperwork done," Gail said to him. "There was a typo on the ownership papers."

Frank looked at her, puzzled. Then Cas extended his arm and held out the keys. "My name was on the papers; or, at least, the false name that I gave to the salesman," Cas told Frank. "So we told them they had to change it to yours."

Frank's jaw dropped open. He looked from Cas to his sister and then back again. "Get outta here," he said, dazed.

"Merry Christmas," Gail said. "And, Happy Hanukkah, birthday, and anniversary. Enjoy. Just don't expect another present from us for the next decade or so," she joked. Gail was smiling widely. The expression on her brother's face was worth at least five Chargers.

Cas pressed the keys into Frank's hand. "Take your sister for a drive," he said. "Dean and I will meet you at the diner, and we'll buy you both some lunch." He kissed Gail on the cheek and gave her a squeeze, then he said, "Come on, Dean." The men walked away, leaving the brother and sister there.

Frank stood looking down at Gail, open-mouthed. "Earth to Frank," Gail said, waving her hand in front of his face.

"I can't believe you guys would do this," he said dazedly.

She shrugged. "Hey, we're Angels. 'Tis better to give, and all that crap. Just make sure you vacuum all the crumbs out of your old car before you hand it over."

Frank pulled her to him and gave her a big hug. She put her arms around her brother, smiling. She had heard him sniffle.

Once Frank had composed himself, he said, "Let's go, kiddo." They got into the car and Frank started it up. He sat back and listened for a moment. "No offense to you and Cas, but THAT'S the sound of Angels singing, right there."

Gail laughed merrily. It was wonderful to see her brother so happy. As soon as she and Cas had looked at Frank looking at the car, they'd known that he had to have it. So they had given the salesman more money, and he had agreed to take it under the table and put Frank's name on the ownership papers. A little dodgy as far as Uncle Sam was concerned, but Gail didn't care. Just look at Frank's face.

They pulled out of the lot at the dealership. "Do you think Cas would mind if I steal you for a bit longer?" Frank asked her. "I've got to go on the freeway for a few minutes, just so we can go a little faster. I want to open her up a bit."

"Sure, Frank. I'll just send him a message," she said.

"Do you need my pho-" he started to say, and she looked at him, raising her eyebrow. "Oh. Right," her brother said, grinning.

Gail told Cas they'd be an additional few minutes, and then she sat back in her seat, watching the scenery fly by. She remembered the time she'd thought that Cas and Frank hated each other, and tears sprang to her eyes. It was still so hard to believe that that whole thing had never even happened.

They drove for a while, and then Frank pulled over to the curb on a street a couple of blocks away from the diner. He shut off the engine and turned to look at his sister.

"Before we get there, I just wanted to say something to you," Frank said, trying to speak past the lump in his throat. "When I first met Cas, I thought he was a bit of a weird bird," Frank told her. "And he totally is. But he's also the best guy I could have ever wished for to be your husband, and my brother-in-law. I give the two of you a hard time, but you know how we are. We tease each other a lot, you and I. I confess, at first it was hard for me to see him take over the role of your protector. That was always my job. I kind of felt like you didn't need me anymore."

"I'll always need you, Frank," Gail said. Her eyes were misting over now. "I don't care where we both are, or what we're doing. I don't care whether we're both married, or if you have a million kids, or if you and Jody move to Timbuktu. And I don't care about some stupid adoption. You're my brother, and no one can ever take that relationship away from us. I love you, Frank, and I'll always need you in my life. No matter what."

"When you and Cas split up, I wanted to talk to you, so many times," Frank went on. "I could see how miserable you were. But I never knew what to say. So I called him in Vancouver, and I asked him what the hell was going on."

She was startled. "You did? He never told me that."

"I'm not surprised," Frank said with a wry grin. "I kind of reamed him out. He said that it was all his fault, everything was his fault, and he was working on being the kind of man you deserved. And that's all he would say. I really went off on him, too. Told him he was being an ass, that you were bawling your eyes out every night, and that he needed to make it right."

Gail smiled sadly. How well she remembered that time. It warmed her heart to hear what Cas had said to Frank, though, and also, what Frank had said to him.

Frank continued, "Then, when you moved back to Vancouver, and you guys got back together, I was happy if you were happy. But, maybe you can tell me now what caused you guys to break up in the first place?"

She looked at him. Crap. No, she couldn't. What was she supposed to say, here? That she and Cas had broken up over something that had apparently never even happened, although it had seemed so real to them that they'd been certain that it had? That was the craziest thought she had ever had, and there was no way she could go there with Frank. But she didn't want to lie to him, either.

"Does it really matter?" Gail asked her brother. "We're married now, we're ecstatically, some would say sickeningly, happy, and that's ancient history. Can't we just leave it at that?"

Frank nodded slowly. "Yeah. Sure. Sure we can, kiddo. But you know that if you ever need to talk, about anything, you can come to me, right?" Then he broke into a grin. "And I'm gonna tell Cas the same thing, in case he ever pisses you off again. But I'm warning you, I may have to take his side. He bought me a Charger."

Gail pretended to frown. "OK, first of all, he and I made that decision together. Secondly, Cas and I are married, so what's his is mine. And thirdly, give me a hug, you big poopyhead."

They both released their seat belts at the same time and Frank gave her a big bear hug, kissing her softly on the forehead. "I love you, kiddo," he told her, and now it was Gail's turn to sniffle.

Frank pulled out of the embrace. "OK. Now, let's never speak of this again," he said, grinning. "If my wife finds out I have such a soft underbelly, I'll never hear the end of it. Now, let's go. I'm gonna get a burger, and the biggest chocolate milkshake they've got."

He started up the engine and pulled out into traffic.

Cas and Dean were sitting in a booth at the diner, and they had been talking, too.

"That was a really great thing you guys did," Dean told Cas.

Cas shrugged. "We could see how much having that car meant to him, Dean."

"Whose idea was it, yours, or Gail's?" Dean asked, curious.

Cas's mouth twitched furiously. "Mrs. Kissyface and I came to a consensus." Then his expression grew serious. "Gail and I are one and the same, Dean. We think alike, and we communicate on a higher plane. It's the sacred bond. It's the most intimate relationship there could ever be."

"OK, OK," Dean said, holding up his hands. "Why can't you ever just answer a question like a normal person?"

"Because I'm an Angel," Cas said earnestly, "and because I thought that you and I were such close friends that I could provide an answer with a little more depth to it."

Dean smiled. "So you DO like me the best," he remarked. "Come on, Cas, it's just the two of us. You can admit it."

Cas answered his smile. "I just bought Frank a very expensive car," he pointed out.

Dean laughed. "You're a lot funnier now than you used to be."

Cas's eyebrow raised. "So you finally admit I'm funny?"

"I only said you're funnier than you USED to be," Dean shot back. "But, let's face it, the bar was pretty low." He stared at Cas for a moment, and then he said, "Despite all this crap we've been going through, I've never seen you happier, Cas. Gail, either. And I'm glad, Cas. I'm really glad."

Cas continued to smile at his friend. "I love you, Dean," he blurted out.

Dean looked around nervously, hoping no one had heard. He may have grown and matured a lot since Barry and Tommy had come to stay at the bunker, but it was a pretty safe bet that a lot of the midwestern macho types of guys who frequented this diner had not. "Yeah, yeah, OK, Cas," he said to his friend. But inside, Dean was pleased. He loved Cas, too. Maybe he would even tell him that, one day. Dean had told Gail on her and Cas's wedding day how much she meant to him; maybe he'd tell Cas on his deathbed, or something. Anyway, Dean knew that Cas knew how he felt. Guys just didn't go around talking about that kind of stuff. Well, normal guys didn't, anyway. Dean loved Frank, too, but he would never say so out loud. Two straight men just didn't say those things to each other, even though they felt them. Cas was the exception. He could be chopping some monster's head off one minute, then telling you he loved you the next, and each of these things coming from Cas would be equally genuine. His weird and wonderful best friend.

"Since we're alone, let me ask you something," Cas said to Dean now. Something had been gnawing at him for a while now. A couple of things had, actually. Dean looked at him expectantly. How could he put this?

"Do you remember when Gail was in the bunker recuperating, after that panther attacked her in the Secret Garden?" Cas asked Dean.

"Yeah, of course I do," Dean replied. "What about it?"

"Do you recall that time that you were passing by our room, and she had cut her hand on some broken glass?" Cas continued in a calm tone, though his stomach was fluttering.

Dean's forehead wrinkled as he thought back. "Oh. Yeah. You had a hold of her hand, and I came in the room when I saw that she was bleeding," he responded. Cas held his breath. Then Dean laughed. "I guess that was pretty stupid on my part," Dean went on. "I came in there to see if I could help. All you had to do was grab her and heal her. I'll bet you guys thought that was pretty funny. Old habits die hard, I guess."

"And, that was it?" Cas persisted.

Dean was puzzled. "What do you mean? Yeah. That was it. You healed her hand, you mopped up the water, and that was it." He regarded Cas curiously. "You're getting weird again. What's with the questions?"

"Nothing, Dean," Cas said quickly. "Never mind." He sat back in his seat, lost in thought. Was it possible? Was that yet another conversation he had apparently manufactured out of whole cloth? In Cas's mind, Dean had come storming in there, accusing him of having hurt Gail, because she had been bleeding. But now, Dean was confirming that the event itself actually had happened, but it had been completely innocuous. Ever since Metatron had informed Cas and Gail that what they'd come to refer to as the Demon period had never happened, the couple had found it so hard to believe that they'd been seeking independent corroboration from their friends and family. And every question and every answer they'd received so far supported the story that Metatron had told them in Mongolia, that he had modified their memories so radically that they'd been convinced that all of those loathsome, repugnant things had truly happened. But it had all been a huge lie. They had never even been through the ordeal at all. He had never been a Demon, she had never been victimized, and there had never been a cure, because there had never been a need for one. They had broken up over a figment of their imaginations. They'd had a house, but neighbourhood youths had accidentally exploded it. Bobby had not rained down holy fire. Rowena may or may not be loosed upon the Earth; the jury was still out on that. But if she was, they had not been the ones responsible. That was one thing that Castiel had not been able to obtain independent corroboration about, yet. If he had been on speaking terms with Crowley, Cas might have asked his Brother about that. But it felt like pretty much every question that Cas could ask about that period had been answered now. He supposed he should try to talk to Crowley about it at some point, as Gail already had. That was if his Brother would tell him the truth, of course. If Cas took the time to analyze it, he realized that Crowley could have taken Cas and Gail out of their misery at any time throughout their agonizing separation. He'd known the truth, but he had let them twist and writhe, laughing up his sleeve at them that whole time. And then there was Metatron, the architect of the grand deception, of course. But at least he had finally come clean and told them about it, giving them the biggest gift that they had ever received. But it should not have even been necessary in the first place, because he should not have perpetrated such a terrible hoax to begin with.

"Cas? Cas!" Dean exclaimed, shaking him out of his reverie.

"I'm sorry, Dean, I was just woolgathering," Cas said mildly.

"Well, find out if they're on the way," Dean said. "I'm starving."

"So am I," Frank said. He and Gail walked up to the booth. "Slide over, Dean," Frank told his friend. "I'm sure the lovebirds want to sit beside each other."

"We certainly do," Cas said. He reached out his hand to Gail and she took it, nestling herself beside him in the booth. "Did you enjoy your drive, Frank?" Cas asked him.

Frank rolled his eyes comically. "You have no idea, Cas. I can't even begin to tell you how fantastic that car is. I'd say lunch is on me, but I realize what a hollow gesture that would be. Thanks, man. Thanks a lot."

Cas put his arm around Gail's waist, sliding her closer to him. "You're very welcome, Frank." Cas looked at his wife. "We're very happy that you're happy, aren't we, my love?"

"So happy," she agreed. She and Cas started to kiss.

"See, what they're doing now is trying to make us lose our appetites, so they don't have to pony up for lunch," Dean groused.

"Won't work," Frank said cheerfully. "I'm way too happy to let that bother me."

Cas sat back in his seat, looking at his loved ones. This was more like it. He would love it if their lives could be like this all the time. These couple of days were proving to be a welcome respite from the upcoming dangers that Cas knew they would have to face. And he had no doubt that there would be many of those.


	2. Limbo

Chapter 2 - Limbo

After supper back at the bunker, they all settled in to watch a couple of movies. Dean and Frank had conspired to set up a double feature: Independence Day, and Paul.

They gathered in the living room area, and the humans had big bowls of popcorn and chips. Jody had returned just before suppertime, and she and Frank were sitting on the smaller couch with Robbie in-between them. Cas and Gail were snuggled up in one corner of the larger couch, with Riley in his usual spot beside Cas, and Chuck on the other side of the couch. Sam and Dean and Barry and Tommy were sitting on chairs. Ethan had gone back up to Heaven for now, telling them that he would be back the next day for the refresher training course that Cas was going to hold. He'd advised that he would bring Kevin, if he wanted to come. Ethan had also asked Cas if he could maybe bring a couple of the other Angels who had been brave enough not to quit when Lucifer had briefly taken over. Get those guys some combat training with people who knew what they were doing.

Both Ethan and Cas had instinctively looked at Bobby at that point. When everyone else had been out on their various errands, Bobby had quietly gone out and gotten a cane, and he was walking towards the kitchen using it.

"What're ya looking at me for?" Bobby said grumpily. "I'm not in charge any more. I'm not even an Angel any more, remember? Do what you want, Cas."

Then he had used his cane to gimp down the hall.

They had all stared after him. "Wow," Frank had said. "He should be outside, telling kids to get off the lawn."

A giggle escaped from Gail, and then most of them started to laugh. But then, Gail felt badly for finding that funny. Poor Bobby hadn't asked for any of this. It was obvious that he was struggling with being human again at a bit of an advanced age, and he must be in a lot of pain from his brave self-amputation.

"I think we should be nicer to Bobby," she said to them all. "I think he's having a really hard time of it."

"I'll go talk to him," Dean said, and he moved down the hallway.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Jody said quietly to Gail.

The two women moved off to the far side of the library, away from the men.

Jody looked at Gail. "My doctor made an appointment for me to have a mammogram tomorrow," she told her sister-in-law. "Frank told me that he told you, and I assume you've told Cas. But I don't want Robbie hearing about it, and I don't want anybody else to know. People around here ask too many questions, sometimes. So I wonder if you could do me a favour. Can I tell everybody you and I are going shopping tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course you can," Gail replied.

"And...do you think you might..." Jody trailed off, looking uncertain now.

"What? What is it, Jody?" Gail asked her in a soft voice.

Jody sighed. "I've never had mammograms before," she said, "and I'm a little nervous about it. Do you think you could come with me?"

Gail stared at her sister-in-law, surprised. They had a friendly enough relationship now, but not an especially close one. But they were sisters-in-law, and they were both women. Jody was obviously reaching out for support, something that didn't come naturally to her.

"Sure I can come with you," Gail told her, "but wouldn't you rather have Frank?"

Jody smiled wryly. "No, he'd probably just sit there and make bad joke after bad joke until I would have no choice but to kill him. I think he's a little freaked out by this whole thing, to tell you the truth."

Gail nodded. She knew. "I can believe that," she said to Jody. "It's funny; put a weapon in his hand and give him a monster, and he's good to go. But whenever I'd get a boo-boo when I was a kid, he would always take care of me, but you could tell it really upset him when I got hurt."

Jody's smile widened. "That's my husband. Tough as nails on the outside, bag of marshmallows on the inside." She touched Gail's arm. "That was a really sweet thing you guys did for him, you know. He told me how much he's always wanted a Charger."

Gail gave Jody a half-shrug. "Truthfully, it was the least we could do. I'm sure I wouldn't even be here today if it wasn't for Frank. He fed me, he clothed me, and he kept me safe all those years. And he made lots of sacrifices, Jody. I never really thought about it back then, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. He never had the chance to make any friends, or ask a girl out on a date, or anything normal. Sometimes, when we were really short of money, he would feed me, but he would tell me that he wasn't hungry. He gave up so much for me. And I'm not even his sister, technically speaking. So, you know what? Anything we can do for him, or for you, we're only too happy to do it."

Jody's heart warmed with love for her husband. No wonder she loved Frank so much. She could just picture him driving Gail around from town to town, checking his pockets for change to see if he had enough for their next meal. They had never really discussed in any detail exactly what Frank had had to do for all those years to keep the two of them going. She knew that both he and Gail, when Gail had gotten older of course, had taken on odd jobs here and there. But mostly, Frank's methods of obtaining enough money to enable him and his sister to survive had likely occurred outside of the law. But Jody wasn't a cop any more, and even if she had still been one, she knew that there were a lot of different shades of right and wrong. What was more wrong, a teenage boy shoplifting food in order to feed his young sister, or the murder of the parents that had precipitated those kids to be on the road in the first place? The answer to that question was obvious to Jody, though it wouldn't be found in any police manual.

The group had watched the first movie, and now they were watching Frank's movie, "Paul". The premise was kind of cute, Cas thought. It was about two science fiction fans who were driving around Area 51 when they picked up a little grey alien named Paul, who had escaped from the place. It was mainly a silly, lighthearted comedy, and Cas was glad that Frank had chosen it, because it helped to keep the group's mood light.

He looked over at Frank and his family. Robbie was slumped against his Dad, dozing. But every time that Frank would laugh, Robbie would stir. The boy was trying valiantly to keep his eyes open, but then they would start to droop again, and the process would be repeated. Jody was dozing too, and Frank was supporting both of them with his body. He had drawn a blanket over all three of them. He'd had a bowl of popcorn on his lap that he'd put down on the floor when he'd put the blanket over his wife and son. But now, even though his arms were long, he couldn't quite reach the popcorn any more, not without moving Robbie, who would then move Jody. So after making a couple of attempts to reach it, Frank had given up.

Gail saw this, and she got out from underneath the blanket that Cas had put over them and padded quietly over to where Frank sat. She picked up the bowl of popcorn and put it in her brother's lap, kissing him on the forehead. He grinned at her and she put a finger to her lips, pointing to Jody and Robbie. Then she walked back to the couch and got back under the blanket. She snuggled against Cas, who put his arm around her, smiling.

Once the movie was over, Cas and Gail said their goodnights and popped over to the house.

"I liked that movie," Cas told her, starting to undress. "It was silly, but it was actually kind of sweet at the end."

"Now you can see why Frank likes it," Gail said, smiling. "That's a pretty apt description of my brother, right there."

She sat down on the bed. "I'm so glad we were able to give him that car, Cas. He was so happy."

He smiled back. "I know. I've never felt more like an Angel than when we get to do things like that for others."

Gail looked at him warmly. That was a beautiful way to put it, she thought. "So tomorrow morning, Jody and I are going to go over to the medical building and get her mammograms done," Gail said. "But remember, if anyone asks, we've gone shopping. OK?"

Cas nodded. "OK." He came over to the bed and sat down beside her. "I think it's wonderful that you'll be there with her to support her," he told his wife.

Gail smiled again. "I'm actually kind of glad she asked me. I'd like to be closer to her, Cas."

"Well, it sounds to me as if she wants to be closer to you, too, if she requested you to go with her on such a personal errand," Cas remarked. "But right now, it's me who would like to be closer to you. Do you think that's something that you might like?" He put his arms around her and kissed her.

"I don't feel like we're close enough," she said to him after a minute. "There are too many clothes in the way."

"I can fix that," Cas said. He lowered her down onto the bed and kissed her again, using his tongue this time. She gave him hers in return, and she could feel him slowly undressing her, caressing every inch of bare skin that he uncovered. He continued to kiss her, smiling.

It felt wonderful, but it was taking forever. "Cas?" she breathed.

"Yes, my love?" he asked her softly.

"You're driving me nuts," she told him.

He moved his body on top of hers, undoing his pants as he did it. "Really? Why is that?" he said lightly.

She closed her hand around him, stroking him but just barely touching him. He pushed forward, but she kept on stroking him only with her fingertips. "It's like this," Gail told him. "It's delightful, but..."

Now he understood. He had been trying to take his time. Cas knew that he was sometimes aggressive, and he always wanted to be sure that he was gentle with her. Even though it had turned out that he had never actually hurt her, the lessons that the delusion had taught him would remain with him always.

But on the other hand, he knew by now that she liked him to take charge, and that she enjoyed his aggressiveness, as long as there was only passion, no pain. He was very excited now, as he always was when they were in this type of situation. So he parted her legs and pushed into her, and she made a sound.

"Is this what you want?" Cas said, pushing forward.

She was smiling. "Oh, yes." Another couple of thrusts, and she was crying out his name. He continued to look at her face for a moment, and then the feeling overtook him and he gathered her up in his arms, telling her how much he loved her.

Afterwards, when they were cuddling, Gail said, "Can I ask you something?"

He kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "Of course. What is it?"

She looked up at him. "When we've finally taken care of Lucifer, do you think I should try to find out who my real parents are?"

"I don't think I can answer that question, Gail," he said softly. "That's for you to decide. Do you WANT to know who they are?"

Her forehead wrinkled. "I'm on the fence about that. Part of me says I'm a grownup now, so it really shouldn't matter to me. But another part of me is really curious. Who were they, and what were they like? Are they still alive? And why did they give me up? Was there something wrong with me?"

Cas was alarmed. "No, Gail!" He touched her face. "No. Please, don't ever think that! There's nothing wrong with you."

Gail smiled. He was so sweet. But still, she wondered. When she had been a young human woman, she'd had special powers, and she'd been able to do things that no other person she knew could. She'd been able to heal people's wounds with the touch of her hands, just as she could now, as an Angel. But humans didn't normally have healing powers like that, did they? So, why had she? And, she had also been able to "read" people, just by touching them, as a true psychic would. She no longer had that particular ability, but she did still occasionally get strong flashes of intuition, and she could not recall a time when one of those had been wrong. But where had those abilities come from in the first place? From one or both of her parents, maybe?

She and Cas talked about this now. Cas had never really thought about it from that viewpoint before. He knew it was highly unusual for a human to have those types of abilities to begin with, let alone in combination. He now believed that one or both of her biological parents could well have passed on those unique talents and characteristics to Gail. Cas truly meant it when he told her that she was a special individual. He had always thought so. He'd never met anyone quite like her. Cas had to admit that he would be very interested to meet her parents and see what they were like. And to find out why they had abandoned her, of course. The very thought of it made him feel angry. But at least Frank's parents had taken her in and raised her, and then Frank had brought her the rest of the way to adulthood. Cas owed that family a huge debt of gratitude.

After some discussion, they decided that they would decide when the time came. But in the meantime, they would visit the house that she and Frank had grown up in. Gail's intuition was telling her very strongly that she needed to go there.

"What are you guys going to do when Jody and I are gone?" she asked Cas.

"We'll be holding training sessions," he replied. "And as soon as you and Jody come back, you can come and join us. We'll make sure you get some work in, as well."

"Good," she said, nodding. "I know I need it." She kissed him on the cheek. "You know, at the risk of starting something, I'm a little surprised that you're not freaking out about Jody and me driving to the medical clinic."

"You're driving?" Cas said, startled. "I don't want you to do that, Gail. I just assumed you would be teleporting her there and back."

Gail nearly rolled her eyes. Here it came. "She wants to drive the Charger, Cas. Why? Do you really think Lucifer's going to be standing in the middle of the road, waiting for us? Frank and I went for our drive earlier today, and you didn't say anything. In fact, you're the one who told us to go!"

Cas thought about that. In a way, she was right. He'd just been so excited to see Frank's reaction to receiving the car, and he'd thought that Gail should be the first one to ride in it with her brother. But, by rights, he should have been just as concerned about that car ride as he was about the one that she was proposing now.

"I'm sorry, Gail," he said softly. "I believe I've been operating under a double standard. For that, I apologize."

She nodded. "Oh. Well, OK, then."

"But I still don't want the two of you driving there," Cas stated firmly.

Gail sighed. "How did I know you were going to say that?"

Cas smiled. "Because you know me. And you know that I'm only saying so because I need for you to be safe. Please don't be angry with me, Gail."

"I'm not," she said quietly. "Believe it or not, I'm not going to put up an argument. We're so close to getting the last Tablet now, and I'm sure he knows that. So there's no sense in taking any chances. I'll just have to suggest that Frank let her drive the Charger when we're on the road to Nevada."

Cas was relieved. "Thank you, my love," he said, giving her a squeeze.

"I love that you care so much about my safety," she said to him. "That's why I want to train more, so that I can defend myself better. But I'm no fool, Cas. I'm not going to put myself in harm's way anymore. I remember what you said in Paris. It's not fair to you to have to be so worried about me all the time. You have enough to deal with being in charge of everything, now that Bobby's a human again. I want to support you, not be another source of stress for you."

Cas couldn't believe it. She was being so sweet, so understanding. "I love you so much," he told her. "Marrying you was the best and the smartest thing I've ever done."

"Once again, I can't argue with you there," she quipped. Cas pulled her closer to him and kissed her, and a moment later, they were making love again.

Jody was disappointed, but she'd also understood where Cas was coming from. And truthfully, it was a hell of a lot more convenient to have Gail just pop her over there.

They were sitting in the small waiting room just off the hallway, waiting for Jody's name to be called. Gail was looking at her sister-in-law. Jody was holding a magazine and she was flipping through the pages, but Gail knew she wasn't actually reading it, because she wasn't even looking at it.

Gail felt for her. If she herself had still been a human, Gail knew that she would have had to have some mammograms eventually, once she reached a certain age. Jody had told her that the tests were usually recommended for women in their 50s, but if there was a history of cancer in the family, doctors could very well recommend that the tests be done earlier. In a rare show of emotion, Jody had somberly told Gail that her mother had died of cancer. The disease had begun in her mother's breast, and she'd had to have a mastectomy. But by then, it had already been too late. The cancer had spread throughout her body and she had died painfully, at a relatively young age. Jody's eyes had misted over when she'd talked about that. It was still difficult for her to think of her Mom dying like that, even after all these years.

"Jody Mills?" A woman's voice, from around the corner. Jody's head snapped up. She rose from her chair. "Here," she said.

A young technician came around the corner. "Hi, Jody," she said. "Dr. Vukovic advised us that you're a virgin."

Jody looked at her, startled, and the girl smiled. "Sorry. Nelly said that I should put it that way. She thought you might think it was funny."

"And I might have, if I wasn't so nervous," Jody said.

"It'll be all right, Jody," Gail said to her. But then, she realized that was a really stupid thing to say. What did that even mean? And what the hell would Gail know about it, anyway?

The technician looked at Gail. "Is she with you?" she asked Jody.

"Yes, she's my sister-in-law."

The girl smiled again. "How about we just call her your sister? Then she can come in with you, if you want. You know, for moral support."

Jody looked uncertainly at Gail, who was rising slowly from her chair now. "It's up to you," Gail said to her. "I can go in there with you and tell you bad jokes to keep you distracted, if you like."

"If that was what I wanted, I could have brought your brother," Jody retorted, but her lips twitched. "OK, then. Come, if you're coming."

They followed the technician into a brightly lit room. The girl asked Jody to take off her top and bra, and then face the machine.

Gail looked at the machine. It was an elaborate-looking contraption. The technician asked Jody to move forward, and she said, "Now I'm going to have to move your breast into position. Then I'm going to press these two glass panels together on either side of your breast and ask you to hold your breath while we take the picture."

Jody looked at the machine. Great. "How hard are you going to press?" she asked, suspiciously.

"I won't lie to you; it'll be a little uncomfortable for a minute," the technician said to her. "But we have to press hard, to get as much tissue in there as possible."

Gail's eyes widened as the girl moved Jody's breast in-between the glass panels. Then, when she had finished doing that, she stepped on a pedal on the floor and the panels moved, flattening Jody's breast between them. Holy moly. This was unbelievable! How could Jody stand it? Gail's chest hurt just looking at it.

Jody was gritting her teeth with pain. "Were your ancestors in the Spanish Inquisition?" she asked the technician. "Hey, Gail, where are those jokes you promised me?"

"I can't think of a damn thing that's funny right now, not one damn thing," Gail said, wincing. Boy, it was a good thing that Frank wasn't here right now; he would probably faint.

"Hold still, Jody, and try not to breathe for a moment," the technician said to her.

"Breathe? Who the hell can breathe?" Jody retorted. "I'm just trying not to scream!"

The technician stepped away from Jody and moved around behind a partition elsewhere in the room. "Hold it," she cautioned Jody. Then she pressed a button, taking the picture, and then another button, releasing the pressure on Jody's breast.

"Oww," Jody said shakily. "'A little uncomfortable'? You've obviously never been on the receiving end of one of those." She let out a breath. "Oh, well, at least it's over now."

"Not exactly," the girl said, approaching Jody again. "We have to take the side view now, and then we'll have to do the other one."

A moment's silence. Then Jody said, "Do me a favour, Gail?"

"Sure, Jody, what do you need?"

"Go home, get a gun, come back, and shoot me with it," Jody said.

The technician laughed nervously, but Gail grinned. She could only imagine how painful this must be, but just the fact that Jody could joke like that encouraged her.

"Can you imagine if men had to sling their parts on there, to get diagnosed with prostate cancer in the same way?" Gail wisecracked. The women all laughed as they tried to picture that.

"I'm trying to visualize your brother being tortured like that," Jody said, smirking. "You just gave me a fantastic visual image for the next time he pisses me off."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for, to lift your morale," Gail remarked, smiling.

A few minutes later, all the pictures had been taken. The technician told Jody that the results would be sent to her doctor within 2 weeks.

"Oh, goodie. Just in time for Christmas," Jody remarked, pulling her top back on.

"Sometimes a clean bill of health is the best gift that you can receive," the girl said to her.

Jody nodded. She supposed that was true. Well, there was nothing she could do now but wait. She'd told Nelly that they were hitting the road tomorrow, but her doctor had her cell phone number, and Jody had also given Nelly Frank's cell number, just to be on the safe side.

She and Gail were walking down the hallway on the way to the ladies' room. The plan was to wink out of there and back to the bunker, provided there was no one else in the washroom. But Jody stopped, taking Gail by the arm.

"I just want to thank you for coming with me," she said to her sister-in-law. "I know I don't say much, but I really appreciate having you as family, Gail. You and Cas, both."

Gail was touched. "Thank you, Jody. I'm really glad Frank married you. I couldn't ask for a better sister-in-law."

Jody gave her a wry smile. "Remind me to hug you in about a month, when the pain finally goes away." Then she laughed, and then so did Gail. Minutes later, they were back in the bunker.

Training was in full swing when the women walked in.

Frank was working with Kevin, and he smiled when he saw Jody. He nodded to her, and she nodded back, but Frank kept on going. He knew she wouldn't appreciate it if he rushed over to her. It wasn't their way, and it would look odd considering that she and Gail had supposedly merely gone shopping.

Cas felt no such inhibition, of course. He had been training Riley, but as soon as he saw the women come in, he left the floor and came running over to them.

"I'm so glad to see you," Cas said. He put his arms around Gail and gave her a kiss. Jody rolled her eyes. Way to be discreet, Cas. But at least, that was normal behaviour for him, as far as Gail was concerned.

"How was shopping?" Cas asked the women. Jody was momentarily surprised. For some reason, she'd been sure that he was going to just blurt out where she and Gail had really been, so she hadn't been prepared for his question. She looked at him blankly.

Fortunately, Gail stepped up to the plate. "We didn't get a darn thing," she told him. "As you can see, we're back way sooner than we should have been, if we'd bought a bunch of stuff." She was making sure to speak really loudly now, so all of the others would hear. "We decided to go again after we get back from Nevada. We're going to have to go Christmas shopping then, anyway. We just decided it made more sense to wait until then."

"Besides, we were eager to get back here so we could see Riley kicking your ass," Jody joked to Cas, giving Gail a look of gratitude.

"As if that would ever happen," Riley said, approaching the group. "Have you seen Castiel in action? I'm surprised we have any enemies left!"

Gail smiled. "He is the best teacher, that's for sure."

"Hey! Standing right here," Sam said, grinning. He came over to where they were standing, and he was drinking from a water bottle. He and Frank and Dean had been taking turns training with the others while Cas had been working with Riley.

Gail looked around the room, surprised by a couple of things she was seeing. Firstly, Robbie was sitting quietly on a stool beside the weapons table. The table had been cleared; presumably, one of the men had locked the weapons away. Robbie was maturing at a pretty quick rate, but still, there was no sense taking any chances. The boy seemed subdued at the moment. He had asked Frank if he could please come in and watch, if he was very quiet and behaved himself, and Frank had relented.

Jody was frowning now, looking at Robbie, and then at her husband. Frank told Kevin to rest up for a minute now, and he came over to where his wife was. He moved to hug Jody, but she avoided his embrace.

"Let's talk," Jody said to Gail's brother, jerking her head towards the hall. They moved outside. Gail watched, bemused, as Robbie handed a towel and a water bottle to Kevin. It was like he was the world's littlest water boy for a sports team.

Meanwhile, Jody was looking at her husband with a raised eyebrow. They were outside in the hallway, where Jody had directed him to come so that they wouldn't be overheard. But she was currently not saying anything, just staring at him.

"So, how'd it go?" Frank asked his wife in an innocent tone. He was pretty sure he knew why she was looking at him that way. "Was it as painful as it sounds? You must be the toughest woman alive, Jodes. I can only imagine how crappy that must have been for you."

Jody sighed. "OK, Frank, you can stop sucking up now. You know that I was going to ask you if you thought it was such a good idea for Robbie to be in there. But you obviously do, because he wouldn't be there without your permission."

Frank made a face. "He asked if he could come in and watch, and I didn't really see the harm. It's only simulated fighting, and I thought he could benefit from seeing us train. We can't try to shield him from the whole world, Jodes. This is what we do. I wanted him to know that the forces of Good are hard at work. I know that sounds like so much comic book b.s., but he was asking a lot of questions this morning."

Jody's forehead wrinkled. "Really? Such as?"

"Such as, what were we going to do about Lucifer, and - brace yourself - his death squads," Frank said grimly.

Jody gasped. "Oh my God, Frank. Did he really say that?" she asked him in a hushed tone.

"Yup," he answered. "And when I asked him where the hell he got that from, he said he didn't know. He said he could 'see' Lucifer, his dad, a black guy, and Jason, and they were all sitting together, talking about 'hijacking' and 'deploying the death squads'. And those were the exact words he used."

"Jason?!" Jody exclaimed. "But, he's dead! Cas killed him in Romania!"

"That's what I told Robbie. So then, he turns around and tells me that Cas only THOUGHT he killed Jason. He said those guys were all laughing about it. Lucifer said Jason and Paul were going to be their stealth weapons, going forward."

"Are you sure that Robbie isn't just using his imagination?" Jody asked her husband. "We all know he's got a very active one."

Frank gave her a brief nod. "That was my first thought, too. But you read that story he wrote about us in Romania, right? It's like he was right there with us. There wasn't one element of fiction to that story. I think he knows things, Jody. When Gail was younger, she used to be able to just touch someone and instantly know things about them. Remember I told you that?"

"Yes, I remember, Frank," Jody said softly.

"I'm starting to think it's kind of like that, Jody," Frank said, thoughtful. "I think that Robbie's got some kind of psychic ability."

Jody opened her mouth to protest, but then she closed it again. What could she possibly say to that? That she didn't believe in psychics? But that would be pretty laughable, considering the source of their information on those Tablet missions, wouldn't it?

"How WAS the mammogram?" Frank asked her now.

Jody grimaced. "Mammograms. Plural." She made a face. "Awful. Painful. You guys are lucky you don't have to go through it."

Frank could have pointed out that he and Sam had researched mammograms online and that men did indeed have to have them sometimes, but he kept his mouth shut. Many times, when you were a husband, discretion was the better part of valour, and he'd better not let Jody know that Sam knew now, too. Which inevitably meant that Dean knew. Jody had been angry with him for telling Gail as it was, so he'd better not risk it. But he'd wanted to gain some knowledge about what his wife was going to have to go through, and the possible implications of the tests. So he had used Sam's laptop to do a bit of independent research, and then Sam had caught him, and then Frank had spilled his guts.

Jody told him that her doctor was going to call her or text her when the test results came in, sometime in the next couple of weeks. Then she said, "Cas must be freaking out over Jason and Paul."

Frank smirked. "It took three of us to persuade him not to just pop over to where you guys were. We asked him: what did he think, that Jason was just going to change into a bat and flit around the medical clinic, looking for Gail?"

"Yeah, and even if he did, he'd probably get sidetracked at the blood bank," Jody quipped. Frank exclaimed, "That's what I said!" He stuck out his hand, and Jody high-fived it.

"Let's get back," Jody said. "I want to get in there and spar with some of the guys. I'm sure you could all use a bit of a break by now, too."

"I think Cas wanted to talk to Gail alone for a minute about something," Frank said. "Probably about this latest development. Maybe you should take Riley; see if he'll attack a woman." He smirked.

They walked back into the training room. Bobby had been sparring with Chuck, and Tommy had been working out with Dean. That sight had also surprised Gail. When she and Jody had arrived, all of the men had started drifting over to greet them and to get a bit of a rest. Tommy came over, accepting a towel and a bottle of water from Robbie. He tousled the boy's hair, then looked at Gail.

"Your husband and his friends are slave drivers," Tommy told her, toweling off.

Gail smiled. "I know. Wait till it's my turn. You might have to stand behind me and catch me when I faint from exhaustion. It's been a while for me. But I'm a little surprised to see YOU here."

Tommy frowned. "I did some thinking, and I decided that I didn't want to just sit around here anymore, while all of you go out and put your lives on the line. When I was in the military, I was in pretty good shape. I figured it couldn't hurt to get back in fighting form, just in case."

"He's pretty good, too," Dean told her, taking a swig of water. "It's a good thing we're only using simulated weapons, or he would have stuck me good a couple of times."

"You mean like I did, when you and I were training?" Gail teased, poking Dean playfully.

Dean shrugged. "That was a lucky shot," he told her. "Let's see how you do, training with your husband. We'll see how cocky you are when he gets a hold of you."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tommy asked. "He'll just go easy on her, won't he? He wouldn't even shoot her character in a video game."

"No, I won't go easy on her," Cas said grimly. "She needs to train properly. I'll take her for half an hour, and then you and Sam can show her the most effective ways to battle a vampire, Dean. Then we'll put her with Frank for a while, and then I'll re-evaluate her." Then he looked at Gail. "Is that all right?" he asked her.

"Oh, good, you remembered that I'm actually in the room," she said, but she was smiling. Then her forehead wrinkled. "Not that it's a bad idea, but I'm just curious: why the emphasis on vampires?"

Cas's frown deepened. "Because Jason still exists."

"What?!" Gail exclaimed. "But, you killed him!"

"Apparently, I didn't," Cas fumed. "We talked about it, and we now believe that what I killed was probably just a shapeshifter who had taken on Jason's appearance."

"And Paul's with them now, too," Dean told her.

"Paul?" she said disbelievingly. "Why? I thought he was going to see Henri!"

"We believe that they must have waylaid him before he left Romania," Cas said. "At least, for his sake, I certainly hope so. He had better not have changed his allegiance again. He will not be getting another chance."

Gail was stunned. Wow. Jason was still alive? Well, in a manner of speaking. Great. No wonder Cas wanted her to take vampire-killing lessons. Next time she saw Jason, the first thing she should do was gouge his eyes right out of his head, before he had the chance to mesmerize her again. And she really hoped that Paul had been strong-armed into rejoining Lucifer's team. He'd helped them out in Paris, and then again in Romania, and she had the feeling that he was really sincere in wanting redemption.

She looked at Cas now. "Do you think we could take a second to pop in on Henri, then?" she asked him. "I'd like for him to know that Paul was thinking of him."

Cas was silent, and her heart sank. "No, Cas," she said softly.

He took her hands in his. "While you were gone, I went over there, thinking the same thing. He died yesterday, Gail."

She started to cry. "But, we could have been there, Cas! We could have been with him!"

"I don't think he would have wanted that, Gail," Sam said quietly.

"Sam is right," Cas said, nodding. "He was a very proud man. I think he wanted us to remember him the way he was."

"We still have that bottle of brandy he gave us," Dean said. "We'll open it on a special occasion and have a toast to him."

"Will he be in the Garden?" she asked Cas.

He gave her hands a gentle squeeze, then he put his arm around her and brought her to him for a hug. He could see how upset she was about their friend. He regretted having to give her so much bad news all at once, but she needed to know the truth. "Yes, he'll likely be there, waiting to ascend," Cas told her. He didn't think Henri's murder of Kurt would be held against him. It shouldn't be, anyway. Kurt and his ilk had been monsters, in the truest sense of the word.

Cas held her for a moment as she cried, and then she started to sniffle back the tears. Well, at least Henri's suffering was over now, and if he was in the Garden, they would see him again one day.

Bobby came limping over to the group. "That does it," he fumed. He was sweating profusely. "I can't stand up any more." He grabbed a chair and plunked himself down on it.

Chuck approached the group now. "I'm sorry, Bobby," he said, toweling off.

"Nothing to be sorry about," Bobby told Chuck. "I asked to work out with all of you, and I told you not to baby me. But it's my damn foot."

"You're human now, Bobby," Chuck said with compassion. "It's going to take a while for you to heal."

"Yeah, and I'm an ancient relic, too," Bobby groused, taking a drink of water.

"No, you're not," Sam said cheerfully. "Cas is."

"Yet he's not even sweating," Bobby said grumpily. "Do me a favour, Cas? Try to look tired, once in a while."

Cas smiled thinly. "I know you're being lighthearted, but I think we should resume," he said. "We only have the rest of the day. Then Gail and I, Sam and Dean, Frank, Jody, and Bobby will be leaving in the morning. We have agreed that Chuck, Ethan and Riley will stay here in the bunker, and so will Kevin. We need to resume translations on the Tablets. We're unsure as to what will be required once we obtain the last Tablet, or exactly how they need to be used to encage Lucifer."

Kevin was nodding. "I'll do what I can when you guys are gone," he said. "But the language on them is very complex. I'm going to take some pictures of them, too, and store the images in Sam's laptop."

"I'll take the laptop with me when we go on the road," Sam added. "Since we have to take our time getting to Nevada, I'm going to start studying the language, as well. Maybe you can sit down with me, Cas."

Cas was about to respond when Bobby said, "I'm not going."

Cas looked at him, surprised. When they'd talked about it earlier, Bobby had said that he wanted to be included.

"Don't look at me like that," Bobby said gloomily. "I wanna go, but I'd just be a liability right now. My damn foot is throbbing, and I feel like I'm about a hundred years old right now. Sorry, but there's no way I can go, not in this condition."

Cas was inscrutable, but secretly, he was glad. He'd seen the difficulty Bobby had been having in training, and he was relieved to see that their friend realized he was not up to par. Now Cas wouldn't have to say anything to him, and they wouldn't have to have an argument.

"All right, let's go," Cas said crisply. He took Gail by the elbow and steered her out to the floor, almost as if they were getting ready to dance. Which, in a way, they were.

Riley stepped forward, extending the rubber knife he had been holding. "Do you want - " he began, but Cas held up his hand. "No," he said shortly. Cas withdrew his blade from his blazer slowly, looking at Gail. Then he shrugged the blazer off and tossed it to the side of the room.

She was staring at her husband. It was funny how he could just shift gears like this. She remembered the first time she'd faced off with him like this here in the training room. She had insisted, and he had been reluctant to get involved, preferring to leave her in Sam and Dean's hands. But when they'd gone too easy on her, he had stepped up and given her the kind of challenge she needed to face if she hoped to improve. He had stabbed her then, when she had failed to protect her flank, and even though he had healed her right away, Cas had agonized about it for weeks afterwards. After that, he'd refused to face off with her again. When they had shared the Demon delusion, Gail had imagined that Cas had stabbed her under the guise of training her and then taken his time healing her, as some kind of a twisted power play. But she should have known that something was wrong with that scenario. Look at how terrible he'd felt when he'd stabbed her by accident. Afterwards, when Lucifer had first escaped and they'd been training the Angels, Cas had always found an excuse not to pair with Gail. Just the fact that he was willing to face off with her now demonstrated to her the gravity of the situation.

Gail had her blade in her pants pocket, and she took it out now. She could feel everyone's eyes on them as the room got very quiet. Cas was looking very serious now. No matter how many times she saw him like this, she always felt a little flutter in her stomach.

Then he came at her, and she stepped to the side. He went with her, but she anticipated him and ducked down, tackling him around the waist and knocking him off balance. Thus surprised, he went down onto the mat, but she'd lost her balance too, so she fell on top of him.

"Hey! Are you guys fighting, or making out?" Dean catcalled.

Cas smiled briefly, then he pushed Gail off of him and sprang to his feet. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, turning her around and putting his blade to her throat. She kicked backward and made contact with his shin, pressing his wrist to make him drop the knife. But, although he let go of the weapon and grunted when she'd kicked him, he maintained his grip on her. His hand went to her neck and he began to squeeze her throat.

She was in trouble now. She thought furiously. How was she going to get out of this? This wasn't Cas, she told herself. It was Jason, or Lucifer. He was going to kill her if she didn't do something, now.

Gail bumped him with her rear end, hard. It was the only thing she could think of to do, in the position he had her in. Her action threw him off for a moment, long enough for his hold on her to loosen. She wrenched out of his grasp. But by the time she turned around to face him, Cas had rolled onto the floor and picked up the knife. He kicked out, tripping her, and she fell to the mat. Then he was on her, and his knife was at her throat again.

"You need a lot more work," he said bluntly. Then he got off of her and extended his hand to help her up from the floor.

Gail looked at his hand. She got up from the floor on her own and faced him. She had mixed feelings at the moment. She actually thought she'd done fairly well, considering how rusty she felt. But on the other hand, she would have been dead at least three times during that whole exchange if he'd been a real enemy.

She sighed, relenting. "You're right. I do."

Cas was staring at her. "You know that I'm only telling you that for your own good," he said to her.

"I know," she said coolly. Just because he was right didn't mean that she was willing to be intimidated by him. Cas was in instructor mode now, and he had immersed himself in the role. Well, she could do that, too. He was the enemy right now, and he couldn't be trusted.

Sure enough, he went for her again. Gail almost smiled when she heard Riley gasp out loud. This wasn't a video game, and she and Cas weren't a loving couple right now. Cas was testing her, and she needed to rise to the challenge. Lucifer wasn't going to coddle and pamper her, was he?

He lunged forward, jabbing at her with his blade. She'd been expecting it, but her heart started to beat faster anyway. Cas was scary when he got like this. She grabbed him and judo-flipped him to the mat. Cas frowned. She had taken him by surprise a few times, now. That was great, but the trouble was, she didn't follow through. When she momentarily got the better of him, she eased up.

"Follow through!" he said, raising his voice. "It's not enough to just knock me down to the ground, because then I'll do this!" He grabbed her ankle, pulling her off her feet. She went down hard, and now he was on top of her again. He put his hands on her throat. "What are you going to do?" he shouted. "This isn't a game, Gail! It's your life! I'm Lucifer! What are you going to do?"

Crap! What WAS she going to do? If Cas was really Lucifer, she would be dead right now. His hands were pressing on her throat, and he was looking at her with scorn. Gail could almost picture Lucifer's face, superimposed on her husband's. The Devil was strangling her, and no one was going to swoop in and rescue her this time. She had to save herself.

Gail managed to get her hands in-between their bodies and she pushed Cas, as hard as she could. The golden glow came out of her fingertips and he went flying off of her. His back hit the cabinet where the weapons were locked up on the opposite side of the room, and he grunted in pain, then slid down to the floor. She scrambled off the mat and ran over to where he was sitting on the ground, putting her blade to his throat.

Cas began to smile. "As the expression goes, that's what I'm talking about," he said softly.

They looked at each other for a moment, breathing heavily from their exertions. The adrenaline was already starting to wear off from Gail's burst of energy. She removed her blade from Cas's neck and sat down heavily next to him on the floor.

Everybody was staring at them in silence, and then Frank said, "Wow, Gail, I'm glad you couldn't have zapped me like that when you were a kid, or I'd be sooo dead right now."

Frank could always be relied upon to break the tension. Everyone started to smile after that. Cas and Gail dropped their knives on the ground and embraced. Then he kissed her on the mouth.

"I'm sorry, my darling," Cas murmured. "I had to see if you were capable of summoning your powers if you were pushed to the limit. Now you can try to call them up again and practice using them, and you should be able to do the same thing you just did to me to Lucifer, or to any of them. But you can't rely on that, alone. As you've seen with me, it's only sporadic, and I find I can only use it effectively when I'm feeling a very strong emotion, such as rage."

Gail nodded. What he was saying actually made sense to her. At least it was good to know that she might have a secret weapon. It was a little too easy for her to be physically overpowered.

Dean walked over to where they sat, and he reached his hand down to Gail. She took it, smiling up at him. He pulled her to her feet, looking down at Cas. Cas extended his hand, smiling at Dean. Dean smirked. "You? You can just sit there for a minute," Dean said to him. "Man, I wish I'd gotten that on video. That was sweeeet."

"It was pretty impressive, I've gotta admit," Bobby chipped in. "You know what, Cas? The next time she asks you to help out around the house, you'd better do it."

Everyone laughed again, and Gail smiled at Bobby. It did her heart good to see him joking. Things had been so rough on him lately.

Cas got to his feet. "OK, fun's over. Back to work." They all groaned, but they immediately started to pair up again. The whole group sensed that the landscape was soon going to change. Lucifer had done some horrible things, but not nearly as many as he was capable of doing. But now, it seemed like he might finally be focusing, and the language they had been hearing was terrifying. So whatever was going to happen, they'd better be ready for it.

Several hours later, they were all exhausted, and the humans were getting hungry. Cas called a halt to the proceedings. "Why don't you all have a rest, and the humans can have something to eat? If anyone wishes, I'll be back here in an hour for additional training. We'll be leaving fairly early in the morning." Then he took Gail's hand and popped her back to the house.

"I'd better have a shower," Gail said to him. "Then I can pack our bags, so they'll be ready in the morning for when you want to leave."

"That sounds good," Cas said, nodding. "And I'll have a shower after you do. Contrary to what everyone seems to believe, I do perspire when I've worked out for a while." Then he smiled. "And you gave me quite a bit of work this afternoon. I'm very proud of you, Gail. You made some good progress today."

She smiled back. "Thank you, Professor."

When Cas came out of the shower, he was dressed only in his shorts. "Come here, Cas," Gail said, beckoning for him to approach the bed. When he did, she asked him to lie down on his stomach. Then she straddled him and began to rub his back.

"What are you doing?" Cas asked her.

"If you have to ask, I must be doing it wrong," she said lightly. "I just thought your muscles might be a little sore after all that working out."

"I don't get sore," Cas protested, but as she continued to massage him, he stretched his arms out and sighed contentedly.

Gail continued to rub his back and arms, and Cas moaned softly. "That feels wonderful," he told her. His eyes were closed, and he was smiling.

"I'm glad you like it," she said. She continued to massage his muscles for a few more minutes, and then she leaned down and began to kiss his shoulders, and his back.

"That feels wonderful, as well," he remarked.

"It's the least I can do, considering how much I wore you out," she said teasingly, into his ear.

"Really?" Cas said lightly. "Do you think I'm worn out?"

Suddenly, he bucked her off of him and turned around to face her. He kissed her on the mouth, using his tongue. "I don't feel worn out at all," Cas said, smiling. He lifted her nightshirt off over her head and pulled his shorts off. "We don't have much time. I said I'd be back in an hour," he said, caressing her skin.

She opened her legs and grabbed him, guiding him into her. "Then I guess you'd better hurry," she told him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"I don't think that will be a problem," Cas breathed. He loved it when she did that. He pushed forward eagerly, and a minute later, he was still.

Gail was caressing his back. "I love you," she said into his ear. "You're the sexiest teacher I've ever had."

Cas looked at her face, smiling. "We'll see if you still feel that way after a few more hours of training," he said to her.

"Then YOU can give ME a massage," she responded pertly.

"I would be glad to do that," he said sincerely.

Gail glanced at the clock. "The hour's nearly up," she said.

Cas thought for a second. Then he said, "I've just a message to Chuck, telling him we'll be there shortly." He kissed her neck. "We have some unfinished business here first, don't we?"

He moved down her body and made love to her with his tongue, and she cried out his name, clutching his head. Then, when she was done, they kissed and cuddled for a few more minutes. Then they got dressed and returned to the bunker.

"This is The Rev, signing off for now," Lucifer said. "So, that's it, boys and girls. Armageddon is nigh. When the calendar page turns over and the year is New, the battle lines will be drawn. The Angels are coming to the Earth, looking to slay the third part of man. Read your Revelation if you don't believe me, folks. An advance group of them is already here. I will stand against them, but I'm gonna need your help, people. I'm only one man. They almost had me a few weeks ago, but I was able to get away. So I had to get a new face and go into hiding for a while, to hide my identity from them. But I'm back now, and I'm inviting you to come to my compound here in Narnia." He smiled. "That's the code name for the place, anyway. That way, if anyone asks before you get here, that's all you'll be able to tell them. But anyone who's got my 'Rev' tattoo will instantly know where it is. I know that some of you are already on your way here. Bring your like-minded friends. We're gonna need all the help we can get. Come one, come all. It's time to do unto others, before they do unto us. Gordon out."

He grinned, pushing the button on the computer to end the podcast. This was gonna be epic. He'd brought his evil support staff here to Pasadena and set up his own version of Neverland Ranch. He'd had Jason rip out the throats of the owners of the mansion, and then Lucifer's helper monkeys had put a huge concrete fence around the grounds. The Demons had already arrived, and they were currently setting up killing stations all around the compound. Lucifer was going to run his own training school, on a much larger scale than the one that was currently taking place at the bunker. The humans were starting to trickle in now. Demons were taking turns vetting them at the gate and once they were admitted, they were free to camp out on the grounds. Once he had more numbers, Lucifer was going to make a personal appearance and rally the troops. He realized now that when he had been in Heaven, he'd been in the wrong place. Who wanted to rule a bunch of goody-two-shoes Angels, anyway? He felt a lot more at home here on Earth, with the Demons, the bikers, the whores and the psychopaths. These were his people, and he was their new Messiah.

Lucifer got up and left the room, and Paul stared nervously after him. Paul was sweating bullets now. So far, he hadn't been forced to do any actual killing on Lucifer's behalf, but he was pretty sure it would only be a matter of time. Castiel had no idea how bad things were going to get, if Lucifer followed through on everything that Paul was seeing here. But Paul hadn't been able to get a cell phone, to call Castiel and warn him. Ever since they'd come here from Romania, he hadn't been left alone for one second.

Mark walked into the room and sat down heavily in the chair across from Paul. "Your turn to run errands," he said to the Demon.

Paul looked at him coolly. "Errands? What kind of errands?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "You're not going to believe it. He wants to keep the bikers and the perverts happy, so he wants you to take a squad of Demons and raid the nearest liquor stores for booze, and Triple-X stores for porn magazines."

Paul laughed scornfully. "What do you need me for? Surely a bunch of Demons can take care of procuring such vital necessities."

"You're their leader, aren't you?" Mark prodded him.

Paul shrugged. "I dunno. I don't think you can really lead a bunch of Demons. Rule them, maybe, like Crowley did." He smirked inwardly. Who would have ever thought that Paul would feel almost nostalgic for Crowley? But most of all, Paul missed Henri, the Angels, and those flannel-shirted cracker bastards. He liked who he was when he was around them. This was a very bad place he was in now. No good could possibly come out of this place. But he had to stay here for now, if he wanted to keep on existing. Besides, he had to figure out a way to let Castiel know what was going on here. Come to think of it...

Mark was smirking. "Crowley? He's done. Lucifer told me he's going to vanquish Crowley, too. Hey, maybe if you play your cards right, he'll make you the new King. There'll be a lot of job openings soon. I think I'll ask for the High Office in Heaven. There are a lot of beautiful Angels there, and they're trained to be obedient. But I'm sure the skanks in Hell will service you just as well."

Paul felt nauseous. Had he ever honestly thought that Hell was the way to go? But he'd had an idea now. They were actually giving him the opening he needed.

So, when he and the Demon squad he'd handpicked went to town, Paul used the distraction of the robberies to pop over to the nearest phone booth. He'd committed Castiel's cell number to memory, and he dialed it now.

Riley was slowly improving, but they were running out of time. Cas had actually considered bringing him along, just to have an extra Angel, but as the night wore down, Cas realized the young Angel wouldn't be ready yet. Riley was dedicated, and he'd trained hard, but he needed more work before Cas would be comfortable taking him out in the field.

Still, Cas offered some words of encouragement as he and Riley got up off the mat from their latest skirmish. "You're coming along very well," Cas said, putting his hand on the young Angel's shoulder. "Considering you've only had one day of training, your progress has been excellent."

Riley was beaming. He considered it the highest compliment to be praised by such a fierce warrior as Castiel. And Riley had been impressed by Gail, too. She was feisty. He'd been astounded to see her train with her husband. Castiel had not only NOT gone easy on her, Riley thought, but it had seemed like he was even tougher on her than on anyone else. But Gail had risen to the challenge, and even though Castiel was still the far superior fighter, she had been able to hold her own against him.

Then they had switched partners, and Gail had been training with Sam and Dean. They were educating her on how to kill a vampire, or at least, how to slow it down.

"The most definitive way to kill one is to chop off its head," Sam was saying.

"I hear you, but that might be a little difficult for me," Gail told him. "If I'm me, and you're the vampire, I'd need a stepladder to do that!"

"That's when you use my method," Dean told her. "Knee him in the junk. Then he'll be a lot closer to the ground. Why don't you demonstrate on Sam, if you need a visual aid?"

Cas and Riley came over to where they were standing. "Better still, just get Cas to do it," Dean said. "Just make sure you're killing the right guy, next time," he said to his friend.

"Oh, believe me, the next time I see him, he will not survive," Cas said grimly. He was very angry that Jason had been able to fool him like that. Well, Jason had better not even look in Gail's direction, or Cas was going to chop off every body part he had, and then burn them all, just on general principles. He told them that now.

"Wow, Cas, tell us how you really feel," Sam said, bemused. But he couldn't blame their friend. It was maddening to think of Jason victimizing Gail like that. Sam had been very happy to see Cas training Gail like he had been. Yes, he was really tough on her, but they couldn't be soft now. When Sam had had lunch with Quinn yesterday, she had told him about some very disturbing visions she'd been having. The Devil was amassing an army, she'd said, and once he had the numbers, Lucifer was planning something he was calling "the game-changer". That was all she had been able to see, but Quinn had taken Sam's cell number, and she'd said she would call him with anything else she was able to pick up. They'd been having a fairly pleasant lunch up until that point, but once she'd told him that, they had both lost their appetites, and Sam had left shortly afterwards. He liked Quinn, but the timing was just wrong to try to pursue a potential relationship right now.

Riley was looking at Castiel, awestruck. Wow. Every time he thought that his mentor couldn't possibly get any more badass, Riley found that he was wrong. Yet Castiel was so gentle and tender with his wife. Maybe once Riley was trained up a bit more in the fighting department, he would ask Castiel for some tips on how to get a girlfriend, too.

Cas's cell phone was ringing, but it was in his jacket pocket, and his blazer was hanging on one of the chairs beside the weapons table. Because the group were all talking and joking around, they didn't hear the phone ring.

Paul was cursing now. Where the hell was Castiel? Why wasn't he picking up his damn phone? Then, miracle of miracles, he heard Castiel's voice. But an instant later, Paul realized it was just Voice Mail. He left a terse, panicked message, and then he hung up, promising to get in touch again when he could. Then he popped back over to where his fellow Demons were looting and pillaging.

Cas put his blazer back on once training wrapped up and put his blade in its usual inside pocket. "We'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning," he told Sam and Dean. "Then we'll get on the road and head to Denver. We'll arrive there in the afternoon, or early evening, if we take our time."

Dean grinned. "We'll stop for lunch; that'll slow us down a bit. But Denver's due west, almost as the crow flies. It's gonna be hard to get Frank to drive that slow on the Interstate. Me, too."

Sam's expression grew somber. "I don't know, Dean. Considering where we're going, he might not be in such a hurry to get there. Think about it." Then he looked at Gail, touching her arm. "Are you absolutely sure YOU want to go there, Gail?"

She looked up at him with a small smile. "No," she replied wryly. "But I just feel like I have to, Sam. You know about my feelings."

He nodded. Yes, he knew.

Gail touched Cas's arm. "That reminds me. Have you got everyone's phone numbers programmed into your cell?"

Dean was smirking again now. "Come on, Gail, what do you expect? We finally got him to set up his Voice Mail after years of begging, and now you want him to have a Contacts List, too? I know you're an Angel, but I didn't think you were a miracle worker."

Cas was looking at his phone. "What does this little red number mean?" he asked Dean.

"Well, look at that. Your first Voice Mail," Dean said. "Do you remember how to play the message back?"

"Yes, Dean," Cas said with a trace of irritation. How much of a dinosaur did they think he was, anyway?

After entering Gail's name as his password, Cas was able to access his message. Frank and Dean had tried to convince him to create a less obvious password, but Cas had ignored them. He'd heard many stories about people forgetting their passwords, but this way, there was absolutely no chance of that happening.

It was Paul's voice. "I'm with Lucifer's gang, against my will. He's planning Armageddon, Castiel. Death squads, terrorism, the whole nine. He's assembling an Army. You'd better get that Tablet and get it quick. It's gettin' all kinds of nasty here. I'll call you when I can." Then he'd hung up.

Oh, God. My God. Cas handed his phone to Dean and asked him to play the message again on Speaker, so that they could all hear it. They all listened in shock.

Cas's lips were pursed so tight that they turned white. He snatched the phone from Dean's hand. "That is why I have been pushing everyone so hard," he said in a clipped tone. Then he took Gail's hand. "We'll be here at dawn." Then he winked them out.


	3. The Ghost Of Yesterday

Chapter 3 - The Ghost Of Yesterday

Cas had been in a somber, restless mood all night, brooding about Paul's Voice Mail message. On the one hand, he was happy to hear that Paul was still trying to do the right thing. But there was nothing else that was good about Paul's message. Armageddon. Death squads. Terrorism. In a strange way, Castiel was surprised that it had taken this long. Thus far, Lucifer had been all bark, but very little bite. Perhaps he'd thought that he would have more time, that Castiel would be unsuccessful in his missions to obtain the Tablets. But now that they were this close to achieving the goal, Lucifer was obviously panicking, planning to throw all kinds of mayhem their way to sidetrack them for the task at hand. It was unfortunate that Paul hadn't given Cas Lucifer's location. But then again, the fact that he hadn't further convinced Cas that Paul's intent was good. It would be suicide for Cas to try to take the fight to Lucifer if he was in the midst of amassing an army. There were still all of those Demons out there, and Lord only knew how many humans Lucifer had recruited. The Devil could be very persuasive, and the type of people he would attract would not necessarily be the smartest or the most perceptive people in the world, so the numbers could be considerable.

No, best just to continue on the present path. The only problem was that they weren't able to accelerate the process. Cas had talked to Tommy again, but Tommy had advised that Wyatt couldn't be rushed. He had a General on the hook, but what they were asking for required a lot more than just one or two "dates". Special identification for Top Secret bases didn't just fall out of trees, or out of high-ranking Officers' butts, Wyatt had told Tommy. So to speak, he had added teasingly. He had every confidence that he'd be able to get them what they needed, but it wasn't going to happen overnight.

So Cas had little choice but to stick with the original plan. He and Gail had arrived at the bunker early in the morning as their travel companions were packing and having breakfast.

Frank was the first one to come out to the library area. He was full of nervous energy. He and Jody had spent some time with Robbie the night before, playing games and watching movies, and then they had gotten a decent night's sleep. This morning Frank was feeling all kinds of things. Sorrow at having to leave their son behind yet again. Excitement at getting to take a road trip in his brand new Charger, and with his favourite people. Fear and anger at Lucifer, and what he might be planning. And finally, trepidation at how he might feel when they walked into his and Gail's childhood home later today. That was a lot of emotions all at once, especially for a guy like Frank. And when you added his worry about what Jody's mammograms might or might not reveal, that was enough to push Frank to the very edge. And what did he do when he was pushed to the edge? He made jokes, and inappropriate comments.

"Hey, Cas, have you heard from your brother, the King of Smell?" Frank asked him. "Or is he still sulking about Romania?"

"OK, number one, I'm pretty sure you've already used 'the King of Smell'," Gail chided her brother, rolling her eyes.

"And secondly, I wouldn't say he's exactly sulking," Cas chimed in, trying to match their tone. "That's not his style." But then, that made him think: What WAS Crowley doing? Paul hadn't mentioned Crowley in the message. Was the King of Hell part of Lucifer's team for Armageddon, or wasn't he? The Crowley that Castiel knew was a shrewd opportunist, but he was no camp follower. He had turned his back on Castiel and his group because he was a selfish little troll who was letting an ancient grudge or three get in the way of doing the right thing. Even looking at things from Crowley's point of view, the King had to know that Lucifer was going to turn on him eventually, if he hadn't already. So, if Cas were Crowley, what would he be doing now? Where would his head be?

Crowley was more or less wondering the same thing at the moment. Lucifer had made it quite clear that he now held the King of Hell in the same regard as the God Squad. Which was to say, none. To Lucifer, Crowley was fair game now. The King had more or less painted himself into a corner. He had stabbed his Brother and Gail in the back, metaphorically, at least. As the old expression went, he had cut off his own nose to spite his face. Or maybe he had thrown the baby out with the bath water. Whatever. In any event, he couldn't defeat Lucifer by himself. Lucifer was the Alpha. If either Crowley or Castiel could have safely taken him on alone, they would have done so by now. But Crowley had severed his ties with the good guys now. What to do? His Kingdom was dying on the vine, and Lucifer was the new kid in town. Crowley's former subjects were defecting en masse again, after the numbers had stabilized a bit. Word had gotten around that Armageddon was a go. But Crowley supposed he deserved what was happening to him now, in a way. He had neglected his Kingdom for quite some time, letting the inmates run the asylum while he'd been traipsing around the world after Castiel and his lot. Now Hell was teetering on the brink of redundancy, and so was its King. Hard to rule when you had no subjects. The battle of Armageddon was to be fought on Earth, and Crowley couldn't afford to just sit back and wait to see who won, or it might be too late.

He sighed heavily. If he had to eat fowl, he would much prefer a nice pheasant under glass, or a Cornish game hen. But it seemed as if he would have to chow down on a helping of crow now. Hopefully it didn't make him choke.

He reached for his cell phone.

Sam was on his own cell phone at the moment. He'd been in the act of throwing a few changes of clothes into his duffel bag when the phone rang. He picked it up from the nightstand and smiled when he saw who the caller was.

"Hi, Quinn, how are you?" Sam said.

"I'm OK, Sam. Are you still at home?" she asked him.

"Yeah, but we'll be leaving soon," he told her. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to tell you a couple of things," she replied. "But first, I wanted to ask how Jody is. Did she have her tests?"

"She did," Sam confirmed. He smiled again. "I'm not supposed to know about it, but her husband's a blabbermouth." Then his smile disappeared. "Why do you ask?"

Quinn sighed. "Because she's your friend, Sam, and because I care. It's like we talked about at lunch. Not everything I say has a deeper, darker connotation."

Sam felt bad now. They had indeed talked about that very thing. She'd told him how difficult it was for her to form lasting relationships because every time she opened her mouth, people thought she was predicting the future.

"I'm sorry, Quinn," he said contritely. "It was nice of you to ask. Apparently, she'll be getting the results back in a week or two. Her doctor knows she's going on the road with us, so I guess she'll call her, or text her, with the results. As soon as we hear, I'll let you know."

"Please do, Sam," Quinn said. She hesitated for a moment, but then she continued, "Sooo...after the lecture I just gave you, I'm embarrassed to say that I do have an otherworldly update. But it's not from me, it's from Oliver."

Sam was bemused. He knew a lot of live people who were less chatty than the ghost who was haunting his own former house. "Oh? What did he say?"

"He was talking about Gail, and a man named Robert," Quinn replied. "He said the Archangel told him to tell her and this 'Robert' that they need to find their real parents."

Sam's brow furrowed. "We don't know anybody named Robert, Quinn. I'll ask Gail, but I don't know who that could be. It's interesting, though. Later today, we'll be visiting the house where she and Frank grew up. I wonder if one thing has to do with the other. But, are you sure he said 'Archangel'?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Sam. Why?" she inquired.

"Because, as far as I know, there aren't any Archangels left," Sam said. "Hmmm. I'll have to ask Cas about that."

There was silence for a moment, and then Sam said, "I'd better go, before Dean starts pounding on the door. But it was good to hear from you, Quinn. I'll try to stay in touch. Take care of yourself, OK? I may not be psychic, but I get the feeling that things may get pretty bad pretty soon."

Quinn frowned. She already knew. She'd seen the Demons and the human terrorists in her mind's eye, roving from town to town in jeeps, with submachine guns. But she didn't say anything about that. She had the feeling that a part of Sam already knew, too. "You take care of yourself too, Sam," she said softly. "Please, Sam, do your best to come back alive."

"I have faith that everything will work out in the end, Quinn," Sam told her.

Quinn smiled wryly. "I read somewhere that a little faith will bring your soul to Heaven, but a lot of faith will bring Heaven to your soul."

Sam smiled again. What was it about Quinn? Every time he heard her voice, she made him want to smile, too. He laughed. "What does that even mean?" he asked her.

Quinn laughed then, as well. "I know, right?"

Dean knocked on Sam's door and then barged in. "Hey! Let's go! If I have to listen to one more bad pun from the Pookster, I'm gonna have to put him down."

Sam rolled his eyes, grinning. "Sorry, Quinn."

"I heard," she said. "That must be Dean."

"Yup," Sam responded. "He's got no manners at all. I'll have to teach him some, before you meet him."

"I'll look forward to that," Quinn said lightly. "Let's talk soon." Then she hung up the phone.

Dean was smirking. "Quinn, huh?"

Sam pulled the zipper closed on his duffel bag and put his cell phone in his pocket. "Yeah. Quinn," he repeated. He looked at his brother, waiting for the teasing that was sure to ensue.

But Dean merely nodded. "Good," he said.

Sam was incredulous. That was it?

"Let's go," Dean said again, and they left Sam's room.

The humans were still trickling into the compound. Lucifer was trying not to be impatient. He knew these things took time. If only they could teleport. But the numbers would be there eventually. He'd been hoping to get as close to the magic number of 144,000 as possible. It would be a lot easier to sell the allegation that they were the good guys of Revelation if he could use some data to back up his claims.

But in the meantime, maybe he'd better get out there and give the folks who had already arrived a little pep talk. Those types of people had short attention spans, and they were notoriously unreliable. Perhaps he should throw them a bone.

So he strolled out of the mansion first thing in the morning and walked out to the grounds. He nodded approvingly when he saw the killing stations. Mark, Jason and Paul were supervising the morning cleanup. Demon work crews were removing debris from the night before. Anyone who felt the urge come upon them was encouraged to practice on hanging targets and mannequins, wielding various weapons that were left lying around at these stations. Lucifer wanted his death squads to be as proficient as possible. There was only one rule, and it was to be strictly observed: No killing of humans on the compound was allowed. The last thing Lucifer wanted was for them to start turning on each other and reducing his numbers. If he hoped to derail the God Squad's mission, the threat had to be pervasive. So he had let it be known that his army could do all the drinking and fornicating they wanted, but if anyone committed murder within the compound itself, they would suffer a slow and agonizing death.

He was encouraged to see all of the debris, though. That signified that the people who were gathering here were enthusiastic about their work. Now he was standing in the middle of the campground, looking around. There were a number of tents and sleeping bags on the ground, but not too many people were actually visible. Most of the types that were gathering here were not exactly early risers. He saw movement to his left, and he was amused to see that there were a man and a woman laying on top of a sleeping bag there. They were naked, and they were going at it, seemingly oblivious of his presence. Or maybe they simply didn't care. He grinned. If they were acolytes of The Rev, that could very well be the case. He was always advocating free love, or at the very least, free Lust.

"HEY!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. The ground rumbled, and the Demons clapped their hands over their ears. The birds that were flying overhead fell out of the sky, and a local priest dropped dead of a heart attack while bending down on his porch to pick up his morning newspaper.

The humans started to crawl out of their tents and sleeping bags, like blobs emerging from the primordial ooze. That was how Lucifer thought of them, too. Once these guys slaughtered a whole bunch of people, Lucifer was going to have to build another Auschwitz and gas the whole lot of them. He wanted to rule a slightly smarter, and more hygienic, group of sinners.

"Good morning, ya filthy animals!" Lucifer exclaimed gleefully. "Murderous bastards, and...bastardesses? Or I guess it's bitches. Anyway, welcome to my humble abode. You should all know who I am by now, and if you don't, you may be in the wrong place. Put it this way: if I see any Angel wings, we'll be having our chicken extra crispy tonight."

A few of the men laughed, and there were some cheers, as well. Lucifer grinned. "I'm glad to see you've all been enjoying our first-class accommodations," he continued. He glanced to the left again and, incredibly, the couple were still at it, grunting and groaning. Unbelievable. Maybe he should fry the two of them where they lay. Or maybe he should just give them a promotion. They were certainly very goal-oriented.

"Once we have more numbers, we'll be assembling death squads," Lucifer announced. "Then, I'm going to send those squads off to cities all over the world, and you can go hog wild. Murderers, bombings, rapes, fires, whatever you want. The object is genocide. No one left alive. Our friends the Demons will be going with you to protect you from harm, and to help you search for our enemies. But I don't want any of you humans to try to mess with the Angels. They'd just as soon smite you out of existence as look at you. Take my word for it: Angels are dicks."

Another round of laughter, and some more shouts of encouragement. The filthy beasts were livening up now. Some of the bikers were even drinking from bottles of beer or alcohol. The Breakfast of Champions. Lucifer shrugged inwardly. Far be it from him. As long as they did his bidding for the next few months, they could die of cirrhosis in a year or so. Make his life a lot easier.

"Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll!" Lucifer exclaimed, pumping his fist, and most of his followers were whistling and cheering now.

A man named Ozzy stepped forward. He was a psychopath, but he was a calculating one, much smarter than many of his fellow campers. "But what happens to us if we get killed by one of those Angels?" he asked Lucifer.

Lucifer regarded him coolly. There was always one in every bunch, wasn't there? "Why, then, you'll just ascend to Heaven, Ozzy," he said, relishing the shocked look on the man's face at hearing Lucifer use his name. "Or, I can just reanimate you with one touch of my finger, and you can go back to raping and pillaging here on Earth, if you want." That was a lie, of course. When his Father had come to Hell and sprung Bobby from the cage, He had thumped Lucifer on the head and sucked the power of revival right out of him. But this guy didn't need to know that, did he? "Either that, or you can go down to Hell, if that's your sort of thing. Up to you, Ozz."

"What's the endgame, here?" Ozzy inquired. "So, we run around killing humans, and we kill thousands of them. Then, what?"

Lucifer frowned, and his look grew dark. He hated to be questioned. "You know who I really am, don't you, Ozzy?" he said through gritted teeth. "Unless you're named after Ozzie Nelson, anybody who's got the name of the lead singer of a band called Black Sabbath should recognize Satan when he sees him. You know I could just wave my little finger and give you leprosy, right? If I waved my whole hand, your eyes would come flying right out of your head, and your dick would drop off." He glanced to his left again, at the fornicating couple. "In fact, maybe I should just do that last thing to all of you," Lucifer continued. "Then maybe you'd LISTEN WHEN I'M TALKING!" he yelled. The man and woman were suddenly pulled apart. Then Lucifer snapped his fingers, and the man exploded. His blood spattered all over the woman, and the sleeping bag they'd been laying on.

"Sorry, honey," Lucifer said to the woman. "It's just that when Daddy speaks, he expects you to listen. Still, maybe I could give you one more chance. You might be too dumb to realize who your Master is. After all, that guy was fornicating your brains right out of your head. Tell you what? Why don't you run up to the house and have a nice, long shower? And then we'll talk."

The woman wrapped the bloody sleeping bag around her naked body and hurried over to the mansion as Lucifer looked back at Ozzy.

"I'll answer your questions, just this once," Lucifer told him. He looked out at the others. They all stood frozen in stunned silence at what they had just witnessed. "I don't like to be questioned," Lucifer continued. "I'm the boss, and I expect blind obedience. One way or the other. But because you people are my first, I'll tell you what the endgame is. When Armageddon goes down, it's gonna go down hard. But then, when the dust settles and there are 144,000 of you hardy souls left, we'll burn it all to the ground and rebuild the Earth into the kind of paradise we want it to be. The real Garden of Eden. I'm going to set it up so we'll have some of the humans and Angels as slaves for us. So, once we level the place, we can kick back and have them do all the work. We'll be pampered and waited on, hand and foot. But there's work to do, first. I told you, our enemies are few, but they're tenacious. If you want to be part of the new Narnia, you're going to have to want it. Whoever wants it the most, whoever is willing to do whatever it takes to survive, they're the ones I want to establish the New World." Yeah, and your dead bodies will be the welcome mat for the real settlers to come, he thought. He looked at Ozzy again. And this guy would be the first to go. Lucifer really, really hated to be questioned. He forced a smile. "You're my people," he said to them. "This is our time. So, get down and get dirty. The dirtier it is, the more Daddy likes it."

He snapped his fingers and the skies clouded over instantly. There was a loud boom of thunder and then it began to pour rain. In seconds, the ground turned to mud. "For those of you who've heard of Woodstock, you know what to do now," Lucifer shouted gleefully. Then he snapped his fingers again, and he was back inside the mansion. He was bone-dry, of course. Let them wallow in the filth like the dirty beasts they were. He was the King of Everything, the Supreme Ruler, and he liked his creature comforts.

Lucifer walked into the master bedroom, irony completely intended, and the woman from the campsite was laying naked on the bed, scrubbed clean. She smiled invitingly.

"Honey, there's hope for you yet," he said, delighted. Time to do a little fornicating of his own. He snapped his fingers again, and the doors to the bedroom slammed shut.

The bunker was a lot quieter after the group hit the road. Those who remained behind missed their friends, and they said a prayer for everyone's safe return. Then they settled into what had become a routine of sorts. Barry had them all pick from the chore jar and then everyone would drift away, either to do their assigned chore right away or to otherwise occupy themselves, if they chose to defer their daily task. It didn't matter when it got done, as long as it got done.

Kevin and Chuck were seated at the library table. Kevin had been eager to get going on the translations. He was studying the Heaven Tablet right now. Since they'd looked at it with Metatron, he thought he would write down the key words and phrases that had already been interpreted, before he forgot what they were. Kevin's idea was to compile some sort of glossary or concordance that they could use going forward. Because the language was so difficult, and some of the terms were so arcane, Kevin thought it would be a good idea to boil it down as best he could.

Sam had been impressed. Kevin had told him what he had in mind before the group had left, and Sam had clapped him on the shoulder. "Way to go, Kevin," he had told the young Prophet. "That's a fantastic idea."

Kevin had flinched for a split second when Sam had done that, and Sam removed his hand immediately. It was still difficult sometimes for Kevin to be one-on-one with Sam like that, especially in the bunker. Sam understood that, but he kept hoping that Kevin would be able to get past it some day. Still, at least they could look each other in the eye now, so he supposed that was progress.

Kevin had promised Sam that he would stay in communication with him and Cas. Whenever he deciphered a word or a passage, he would write it down, then he would tell Chuck, who would type it into a document on a laptop. Then Chuck would send the latest translations to Sam via e-mail, so that he and Cas could stay current on what they were working on. And Sam had told the two of them that he would e-mail them back if he and Cas came up with anything in addition.

Ethan, Riley and Robbie were playing cards on the coffee table. They'd been cautioned to play quietly, because Kevin needed to concentrate. Robbie was getting better at that now. Being around adults was helping in that regard. None of his Aunts and Uncles jumped up and down, and they seldom raised their voices. If he wanted to become a Hunter, and he did, Robbie would have to show his Mom and Dad how mature he could be.

Meanwhile, Barry and Tommy were in the kitchen, having their long-overdue discussion about Wyatt.

"You have nothing to be jealous about, hon," Tommy assured his boyfriend.

Deep down, Barry knew that, but: "Then why do you still have his number in your Contacts?"

Tommy was thoughtful. "Truthfully, I don't really know," he answered quietly. "I almost did delete his number, several times. But now, I'm thinking it was divine intervention that I didn't."

"Oh, is that what they're calling it these days?" Barry said archly. But he supposed it actually was a good thing they had Wyatt as a resource right now. They would never be able to access Area 51 otherwise. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it.

Tommy took Barry's hand. "You know there's no one for me but you, right?"

Barry sighed. "Yeah, I guess I do. If you wanted to leave me, you would have had about a million chances to do it by now." Then his lips twitched. "Of course, the fact that Lucifer could be standing outside waiting to grab you is one hell of a deterrent."

Tommy was relieved. If Barry was making jokes, he couldn't be too angry. If they could just make it to Christmas without a major blowup, Barry was going to be very happy with his present. Tommy had already given it to Cas to hide in the Angels' house, so Barry couldn't accidentally stumble upon it here.

"I love you, Barry," Tommy said to him now. "That's what's keeping me here. Nothing else."

Barry smiled. "You know what? It's going to sound weird, but even though things are so messed up out there right now, I'm really happy, Tommy. We have each other, we have all of our friends, both human and Angel, and we have a safe place to stay. And, we have our boy. I know he's not really ours, per se, but Frank and Jody are on the road so much I feel like he kind of is."

"I know," Tommy replied. "I feel like that, too. Who knew? All that time, I was running around the world chasing THE story, the one that was so big it was going to make my name. I wanted to leave a legacy. Who knew that all I had to do to accomplish that was to stay at home with the love of my life and help raise a child?"

Barry was nodding. "I feel the same way. I guess we always needed a child in our lives, Tommy, in one capacity or another. We just didn't know we needed one until we got one." He smirked. "And I didn't even have to lose my figure."

Tommy laughed, patting his stomach. "I think I'm losing mine, though. Better get Cas to schedule me some more training sessions when he gets back. I'm getting a real Dad-bod."

"You just want to work out with Dean some more," Barry teased.

"OK, you caught me," Tommy joked back. "Never mind that he's straight as an arrow. Never mind that he's got a girlfriend. And never mind that I'm in love with someone else. He and I are going to run away together."

Barry played along. "Okay, but that 'someone else' better not be Cas, though. He's mine." They both laughed. Now they were on familiar ground. Ever since they'd met the Angel couple, the men had teased Cas and Gail about Barry having a crush on Cas, and Tommy was fine with it. In fact, he thought it was really cute. In further fact, Tommy had a raging crush on Cas, himself. But both he and Barry were fine with each other feeling that way, because it was truly the world's most harmless crush. Cas was handsome and he was hot, but he was completely straight, and extremely married. But it was a long-standing joke between them and their Angel friends, and it was only in good fun.

Then Tommy's expression turned serious. "I'm scared, Barry."

His boyfriend looked at him, startled. Tommy was always the tough one, the pragmatic one. It was usually Barry who was scared of everything. He put his hand on Tommy's. "I know," Barry said. "Me, too. When you told me you wanted to start fight training again, my first impulse was to try to talk you out of it. But I know how serious things are, Tommy. I can feel it. That's why I'm not having my usual hysterics about Wyatt." He smiled grimly. "We need to take care of Lucifer, before he takes care of the human race."

Tommy squeezed Barry's hand. "Would you do me a favour, hon?"

"Sure, Tommy," Barry replied. "What do you need?"

"I need you to pray with me," Tommy told him.

The men bowed their heads in silence.

The group had taken their time over lunch at the diner. Typically enough, once Dean and Frank had gotten their cars on the road, they just couldn't help themselves. The Interstate had been relatively clear, and they were a good two-thirds of the way when Frank called Sam on his cell phone.

"You guys getting hungry?" he'd asked the younger Winchester.

"You've met Dean, right?" Sam quipped. "And hey, how come YOU'RE calling me? You don't have a bluetooth. Are you driving distracted, Frank?"

"For your information, Smart Guy, Jody's driving," Frank retorted.

"Ohhh. That explains why we can't see you guys anymore," Sam said, grinning. "She drives like a maniac."

"I know," Frank replied cheerfully. "I've never been more turned on in my life. I told her we should install a siren and a flashing light."

"Well, tell her to ease up," Sam said. "I don't even see your old car behind us anymore. Cas is back there somewhere."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Cas drives like my grandmother."

"Wouldn't that be OUR grandmother?" Sam said, grinning again.

Dean shook his head impatiently. "You know what I mean. Call Gail and tell her to tell him to shake a leg."

"You're not gonna believe this," Frank said to Sam. "The next town up ahead is called Last Chance."

"I'm not sure if that's good, or bad," Sam said affably. "How about if you throw the anchor out there, then? I'll call Gail and tell them to meet us there. I'm sure we can find a roadside diner, or something."

"Cool," Frank said. He hung up.

Dean was smirking. "'Throw the anchor out'? Good one, Sammy."

Sam called Cas's cell phone. Gail answered. "Hey, Sam. What's up?" she said brightly.

He told her about the plan. "Where are you guys?"

"I don't know, Sam," she replied. "We can't be that far behind you guys."

"Is Cas driving the speed limit?" Dean asked loudly.

"Of course he is," Gail said with a smile. Sam relayed the message.

"Well, tell him to quit it," Dean said with a touch of irritation. "They won't confiscate his halo if the needle goes past the line."

Gail laughed. "That's a good one, Dean."

"What did he say?" Cas asked her. She told him, and he smiled. "That IS a good one," he remarked.

Sam heard what Cas said, and he relayed it to Dean, who rolled his eyes again. Damn Cas. He couldn't even get insulted right. Too bad Gail didn't drive. Dean had the feeling that she wouldn't object to the needle going over the line. In fact, she'd probably be in the lead by now.

So they all met up in Last Chance, Colorado, congregating at a roadside diner there. Cas and Gail had snuggled up together in one corner of the booth while their human friends had burgers, coffee, and pie.

Sam was looking at a map on his cell phone. "It's just over an hour to Denver," he announced.

Gail looked at Frank. "Are you sure you want to go there?" she asked him again. "If you think it might be too hard on you, you and Jody can go on ahead."

"No," Frank said. "I kind of want to see the place again. See what they've done with it. I wonder if they ever fixed that squeaky third step up to the porch. I tried to sneak in after my curfew one or two nights, and the stupid thing busted me."

"If it was more than one night, why didn't you just avoid that step the next time?" Dean asked, quite logically.

Frank threw him a withering look. "Because...shut your pie-hole."

Gail burst out laughing, and Dean looked at Cas. "Can we just leave these two at their house when we get there?" Dean joked to his Angel friend.

"I don't think so, Dean," Cas said, smiling at his wife. He had his arm around Gail's waist, and he gave her a squeeze now. He had really been enjoying their drive together. Dean may tease him about driving slowly, but Cas didn't care. The ride they'd had thus far had reminded him very much of the car trip he and Gail had taken when they'd driven up to Vancouver. But this one was even better, because they had their family with them now.

But it was strange, really. For everything there was a reason, and there was a reason for everything. Cause and effect. Castiel owed his Brother Crowley a debt of gratitude as well, in a very odd and disturbing way. Cas would never voice the thought out loud, because it wouldn't come out right, and they wouldn't understand. But if it had not been for Crowley's persecution of Frank and Gail and their family, Cas and Gail very likely would never have met. He was staring at her now, watching her interact with her brother and their friends. Loving her.

Gail saw Cas looking at her out of the corner of her eye, and she smiled. "What?" she said softly.

"Nothing," Cas replied. "I was just thinking about how much I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie," she replied. She snuggled closer to him, kissing him softly on the cheek.

Dean dropped his fork on his plate with a clatter. "That's it," he announced. "There goes my appetite."

"Oh, WE spoiled your appetite," Gail said sarcastically. "I guess the huge burger, the mountain of fries, and the two slabs of pie you ate had nothing to do with it."

Frank pushed his plate away, sighing. "Well, that was really good, but I think we should get the show on the road now," he said.

Then they were driving again, and an hour or so later, they were parking on the street in front of the house.

Frank stepped out of his car, gaping up at the house. This was a completely surreal experience for him. The place looked exactly the same. So many memories came flooding back. He looked at the second floor, at the window on the right. That had been his bedroom. He wondered what it looked like now. He looked at the laneway, the one separating their house from the neighbours'. Was the basketball hoop still hanging from the garage in the back? He and his Dad used to play one-on-one back there. Was there still a flower garden to the side of the small back yard? Frank remembered their mother down on her hands and knees gardening, as little Gail splashed around in the small plastic kiddie pool. He smiled.

"Let's see if the owners will let us look around," Frank said to Jody.

"Ummm..." she said, poking him and pointing to the front lawn. There was a For Sale sign there, with a banner that said Open House, and Frank's smile grew. "Excellent," he said.

Sam and Dean pulled up then, and Cas and Gail were behind them. Gail stepped out of the car, staring at the house. But, unlike Frank, Gail felt as if this was a stranger's place she was coming to visit. The house looked different to her somehow, almost as if she had been someone different when she'd lived here. And in a lot of ways, she supposed she had been. She'd thought that Frank's parents were hers also, and that she and Frank were actually brother and sister. But then she'd found out that the family had adopted her, and ever since that revelation, she'd felt emotionally detached from them somehow. And now, as she looked at the house, she felt detached from it, as well.

But Frank was excited now. He came over to where she and Cas stood on the sidewalk. "Sorry, Cas," Frank said. He grabbed Gail's hand. "Let's go, kiddo," he enthused, pulling her away from Cas towards the house.

"I used to hate cutting the grass here," Frank said to her as they mounted the steps that led from the sidewalk up to the house. "This hill was a pain in the butt."

Then they walked up a few more steps to the front porch. The porch was the width of the house, and it was big enough to hold outdoor furniture and a table. Gail remembered sitting out here on one of the chairs, reading, during the summer months. When it was really hot, she would have a cold drink sitting next to her on the table. Sometimes, if the weather was really humid, clouds would gather overhead and then there would be a loud crack of thunder, making her jump. Then the rain would come pouring down, but because the porch was self-contained, Gail could continue to sit there without getting wet. She'd loved those times after the initial scare of the thunder because the rain would cool things down, and the rain was very atmospheric to read by.

She looked up at Frank. There were five years separating them chronologically, but back then it might as well have been about a million, in a lot of ways. He was a boy, and she was a girl. He'd been a teenager, while she had still been a child. Frank had been adventurous, wanting to go out and see and do things. When he was a young teenager, he used to talk about travelling the world, she recalled. Well, he'd certainly gotten his wish lately, although she doubted that going on quests for ancient Tablets that would defeat Satan and putting his life on the line every day was exactly what he'd had in mind. She smiled at her brother.

Frank returned her smile. He remembered that Gail would sit out here for hours on the weekends, reading her fantasy books. Up until the day that their lives had changed forever, Frank had been a pretty normal adolescent boy. He had joined some athletic clubs in high school and he'd had a core group of friends that he'd hung out with on the weekends. Many times, he would ride his bike over to the park to meet the other boys, and they would go for a ride, or a swim, or play some kind of sports, depending on what time of year it was. Then he would come home near suppertime and find Gail still sitting here reading. But once Frank had begun Hunter training with his father, those outings and his friendships had fallen by the wayside. It was a shame, in a way, because Frank had been forced into early adulthood by the Hunter legacy. But in another way, it was fortunate that he'd gotten the training that he had; otherwise, he might not have been able to keep himself and Gail alive for all those years on the road.

The front door of the house was open, and Frank brought Gail inside. Their spouses and friends followed. They entered the front hallway, looking around. The living room was to the left and the stairs going up to the second floor of the house were on the right. Frank glanced to the left, but he was in the midst of some good memories and he wanted them to continue a bit longer. So he led Gail by the hand to the kitchen instead, which was down the hall straight ahead.

The decor was pretty much the same as they remembered, though the table and chairs and most of the appliances were new. Frank looked at the table. "Remember when you stabbed me in the hand?" he asked Gail, almost fondly.

She smiled mischievously. "Actually, I do. I just don't remember exactly why." She looked over at the stove, and for an instant, Gail could see an image of their mother, standing there cooking. Tears sprang unexpectedly to her eyes.

Frank saw the expression on her face change, and his heart sank. He didn't want her to cry. "Remember our budgie, Joey?" he said hastily.

Gail laughed, blinking back the tears. "Yeah," she said. "That was so dumb. We put the birdcage in the corner of the room over there, and Mom used to freak out because he would dance to the music that was playing on the radio, and his feathers would go flying all over the place. She used to say we were going to end up with feathers in our food."

"Yet she wouldn't move his cage. When I suggested that, she told me that she liked watching him dance," Frank said, smiling at the memory. "So, there he stayed."

Cas was standing behind the two of them, and he smiled now. That sounded to him very much like something that Gail herself would say and do. The woman may not have been her biological mother, but Gail had obviously picked up some of her characteristics. He felt sad for the siblings. Apparently, they'd had some good times in this house too, before the horror had occurred. How sad that Frank would never get to reminisce with his mother and father or introduce his family to them. Cas would also have liked to have met the two of them, and to thank them for taking Gail in, and taking care of her.

Frank looked at the door which led out of the kitchen towards the living room and sighed. He supposed there was no sense in putting it off any longer.

"May I help you?" the realtor said from behind them. She had been upstairs tidying up the bedrooms when she'd heard their voices. "Are you looking to buy?" she asked the group hopefully. The tall man and the short woman were holding hands and looking around. Maybe they were a couple, looking to buy in the area. If so, they might not know about the house's history. Irene started debating with herself. She was supposed to disclose what had happened here all those years ago, along with what was allegedly happening in the house currently. But every time she did that, the prospective buyers would walk out.

Frank looked at her. "My sister and I grew up in this house, and we're just having a look around. We won't be here too long."

"You grew up here?" Irene said, curious. "When?"

Frank told her, and the realtor paled. These were the kids! She couldn't believe it. After all these years, they were back here at the house, about to walk into the living room, where it had happened. They certainly had more courage than she would have had in their position.

"Do you think you could leave them alone for a bit?" Jody said to Irene in a soft voice.

"Yes, of course," Irene said quickly. She remained behind as Frank pushed open the door that led from the kitchen into the living room. He gave Gail's hand a squeeze and then let go of it as they entered the room. Once again, the decor of the room was slightly different, but in Frank's mind, the place was exactly the same. He could picture the four of them sitting there watching TV. Sometimes their Mom would let them eat on TV trays and watch nature shows, or a family-friendly movie.

Those were good memories too, but now, the others started to intrude. His Dad, running into the room from the basement, shouting. His Mom, coming in from the kitchen with Gail, saying that there was no time. Then their father, instructing Frank to take Gail down to the basement and hide with her there until it was safe to come out.

A loud sob escaped from Gail as she looked down at the floor. She and Frank had hidden in the basement for a long time, cowering in fear as they heard the horrifying sounds of their parents being slaughtered by the Demons that had come to the house that day. Then, a man's laughter, which was the creepiest sound she had ever heard, both before, or since. And then the utter silence, which was the worst of all. Even at her tender age, Gail had known what that meant. Still, the two of them had waited in their hiding place, clutching at each other, for God only knew how long. Then Frank had finally had to accept the fact that their father would not be coming downstairs to tell them that everything was all right. Nothing would be all right, ever again. So he had taken his sister's hand and led her out of the crawlspace. They had climbed the steps that led up from the basement, slowly and quietly, Gail dragging her stuffed animal behind her. Then they had walked into the living room and seen their parents lying still on the floor, and the walls covered in blood. Little Gail had tried to heal them, but they were gone.

She was picturing them laying there now, and suddenly, she was ten years old again. Casting her stuffed toy aside and falling to the floor by her mother, trying to heal her. Covered in her mother's blood, and not even noticing. Not being able to heal her mother. Crawling over to their father, then. Starting to scream. Frank picking her up off the floor, telling her that they had to go. Had he been crying, too? Probably, but she had been too hysterical to notice.

She was crying now, breathing in hitched sobs. She was that ten-year-old girl, frantically trying to bring her parents back from death, not understanding why the entire living room was covered in blood. Where was the laughing man, and what would have caused him to laugh that way? Frank had been pulling at her, but little Gail had been scared, and she'd just wanted her mother. They couldn't be dead. They just couldn't be.

But eventually, she'd had no choice but to allow Frank to pull her out of the living room away from their parents out into the front hallway, and then he had pulled her up the stairs to their rooms. He'd stuffed as many of their clothes as he could as quickly as he could into his large sports duffel bag, and then he'd hauled Gail into their parents' bedroom. It was irrational, he knew, but he needed her where he could keep an eye on her. The Demons were obviously gone, or else he and Gail would be dead by now. Still, Frank needed to get them the hell out of there, and he needed to do it fast. So he rooted around in the bureau in his parents' room for the emergency money his Dad had told him was there. He found the envelope and stuffed it in his pants pocket, where he'd already put the money he'd earned on his paper route that had been stashed in his room. It was funny, really; Frank had been waiting until his birthday to see if he would get more money from his parents, and then he'd been intending to go on a shopping spree. Records, sports equipment, movie tickets. Anything he wanted. Well, Happy Freaking Birthday, Frank. He and Gail had been eating his birthday cake a few short hours ago, and now his parents were lying in the living room, brutally murdered. He wouldn't be getting anything from them on any more of his birthdays, would he?

Frank stood there, frozen, struck by the thought. This was huge. This was the rest of his life, and Gail's, right here. He was the man of the family now. But, for the moment, he was paralyzed with indecision. Frank was only fifteen years old, and it was too soon for him to be having to make these kinds of decisions. How much money would be enough? Where should they go? What should they do? He wasn't even legally old enough to drive yet, although he knew how.

"What are we going to do, Frank?" Gail had said in a small voice. That had been enough to break his paralysis. She was looking up at him with wide eyes, needing him to take care of her. He didn't have the luxury of indecision now.

"We're going to get out of here," he'd said, grabbing her hand again. "Come on, kiddo."

Frank brought her downstairs, into the kitchen. He snatched up his unopened birthday card, stuffing it in the bag. He looked longingly at his presents for a moment. They were unopened, too. They'd been waiting for his Dad to come back into the kitchen. Their mother had given both him and Gail pieces of cake in the meantime, to temper Frank's impatience at having to wait. Well, he would never know what was in them now, because he was sure there wouldn't be anything in them that they could actually use.

But there was something he did need, and he really didn't want to go and get it, but Frank had no choice. So he led Gail back out to the hallway at the front of the house, and told her sternly to stay right there. Then he'd gone into the living room and knelt beside his Dad, feeling in his pants pocket for the car keys. Frank fished them out, then he winced and turned his father's body over to get the wallet from his back pocket. "Sorry, Dad," he'd said, but he knew his Dad would understand. Then he stood up and looked at both of his parents for the last time. He blew his mother a kiss and assured them both that he would take care of Gail, and then he left the room.

Frank touched Gail on the arm now. "Go see Cas," he said softly. She was still sobbing, nearly hyperventilating with grief and the weight of her memories. She turned around blindly and Cas gathered her up in his arms. His heart was aching for her. He looked at Frank and nodded, and then he popped Gail outside. It could do her no good to remain standing in the room where she and Frank had discovered the bodies.

Cas held her as she cried, fighting his own tears. He could only imagine what that had been like for them. "My poor darling," he murmured. "I wish I could take that pain from you."

Gail cried for another couple of minutes, and then she began to collect herself. "I never thanked him," she said to Cas, sniffling back the last of her tears. "Frank did all that for me, and I'm not even really his sister. He took charge and got me out of here safe. Those were his own parents, laying there murdered, and HE took care of ME. I never even thanked him, Cas." She began to cry again, silent tears this time. "And now, I've brought him here. He probably hates my guts now. Why the hell did we ever come here, Cas? What possible good could come from this?" She wiped her eyes with her hands, and now Cas got a glimpse of the little girl behind the woman's face. He kissed her softly on the forehead. "I'm sure he knows how grateful you are to him," he answered her quietly, "but you can certainly tell him right now, if you like. I'm sure he would appreciate hearing it. But as far as coming here is concerned, he elected to come, Gail. You didn't force him. In fact, you told him several times that he could go on ahead."

Gail sighed. Cas was right. She just hated the thought of Frank being in the same kind of pain as she was in right now. She was just about to suggest that they go back inside to see how her brother was doing when he came out on the porch to see how she was doing.

Gail left Cas's embrace to hug her brother. They both said, "How are you doing?" at the same moment, and they laughed softly. She looked up at his face.

"Thank you, Frank," Gail said warmly. "Thank you for everything. I don't think I ever told you how grateful I am for how you took care of me that day, and all of the days since. I love you so much."

Frank smiled. "I love you too, kiddo. And yeah, I guess I do have to brag a bit, 'cause I think I did a pretty good job."

"Good? You did great," she told him. "Especially since I'm not even technically your sister."

Frank scoffed. "So what? Like that matters. Screw the adoption crap; you're my sister, Gail. You always have been, and you always will be."

"I'm sorry I brought you here," she said, but Frank was shaking his head. "I'm not," he told her. "Coming here brought back a lot of good memories for me, things I hadn't thought about in years. It's those things I'll choose to think about when we leave here today, and I hope that you do, too. Just look at us now, Gail. We're both ecstatically, happily married, we've got tons of people to love, and who love us, and we grew up to be awesome people."

"Amen to that," Jody said, coming out onto the porch. She smiled at Cas. "Sorry, I didn't mean to steal your thunder, there," she quipped. Then she looked at the siblings. "If you're both up to it, you may want to come back inside," she said to them. "The realtor has been telling us some interesting things about the house that you might want to hear."

Frank touched Gail's face. Then he nodded to Cas, who stepped forward and took Gail's hand. Then Frank took Jody's hand, and both couples re-entered the house.

Jody led them through the hallway straight to the kitchen, where Sam and Dean were talking to the realtor. Irene looked at Frank and Gail nervously. She had heard Gail breaking down, and she'd rushed into the living room a moment after Cas had popped Gail outside. Irene had just assumed that they'd exited the living room using the door that led out into the front hall. But Gail looked all right to her now. Irene knew the story of the house, of course. No one had known what had happened to the kids. Their parents had been found brutally murdered by the neighbours a couple of days after it had happened, and the children had vanished. There had been an investigation, of course, but the murders had never been solved, and the children had never been found. After a while, the bank had taken possession of the house, and then it had gone up for sale.

Irene told everyone this now. "It's been sold a few times since, but whoever has moved in here has never stayed here for long," she told them all. "I hope this won't upset you too much," she continued, looking at Frank and Gail, "but anyone who has tried to live in this house has reported that it's haunted."

Sam nodded slowly. "That doesn't surprise me at all," he remarked. "I know of a lot of cases where that's happened. You might be surprised."

Irene laughed shortly. "As a realtor, I see and hear a lot of things," she said. "Sometimes people say that, just because they're suffering from buyer's remorse and they want to get out of the deal. Having said that, I've seen enough things to be convinced that the phenomena are sometimes quite genuine."

"Have you ever seen or felt anything here?" Dean asked her.

Irene nodded. "Actually, I have. I've been upstairs tidying up in the master bedroom when the room has gotten very cold, all of a sudden. I've seen the pillows come flying off the bed, and bureau drawers opening and closing by themselves."

Sam and Dean looked at each other, and then at Frank and Gail. "I can get the EMF out of the car," Sam offered. "See if it picks anything up."

"Has anyone ever seen any manifestations?" Dean asked the realtor.

Frank looked at him, bemused. "That's the biggest word I think I've ever heard you use."

Dean smirked, but he was glad to see Frank joke like that. He'd felt awful when he'd seen Gail break down like she had, and worse, when he'd seen the expression on Frank's face. Dean could relate very well to the story of murdered parents, and being the older brother charged with the care of the younger sibling. He'd felt such empathy for Frank that it had been a physical pain in his chest. So to see and hear his friend joke around like that did Dean's heart good.

Sam had been in pain too, but he identified more with Gail, of course. He had been just an infant when his and Dean's Mom had been killed, though. He couldn't even imagine how Gail must have felt, and it hurt him to even attempt to think about it. So he was shifting to investigator mode now, trying to push his emotions aside.

Jody had felt Frank's pain, too, and she had seen the haggard look on his face after Cas had winked Gail out of the living room. Hmm. Living room. Pretty ironic, when you thought about it. So she had embraced her husband, and he had cried a few bitter tears. But then his big brother instinct had kicked in, and he'd gone out onto the porch to check on Gail's welfare. Old habits died hard.

Cas was thinking about what the realtor was saying, and he was now convinced that one or both of Frank's parents were still in the house. Much as Oliver was bound to his house, Cas was sure that either parent could very well still be present here, in spirit form. This was probably why Gail had gotten such a strong urge to come to this place. Perhaps there was a larger purpose at work, here.

Gail was thinking that same thing now, and when Irene confirmed that a couple of the former occupants had reported sightings of a blonde woman with sad eyes, Gail knew that Frank's mother was still trapped here in the house. She looked at her brother, wide-eyed.

Frank sighed. "It's our Mom," he told the group. "I can't even say I'm surprised. She must have something she needs to tell us." He looked at Gail. "Are you gonna be OK to do this, or do you want me to go?"

She gave him a tight smile. "No, I'll come. In fact, why don't we all go? I'd love for her to see what wonderful spouses and friends we have." She looked at Cas and he smiled gently, squeezing her hand.

So they all climbed the stairs, and once they got to the second floor, Frank said, "Hold on a second." He ducked into his room for a moment, looked around, and then came back to the group. "I was just curious," he said. He looked at Gail. "Do you want to look at yours?"

She shook her head. She didn't really see the point. It wouldn't be her room any more, and she was sure all of her books would be long gone. After her catharsis of emotion, she was starting to feel that sense of detachment again.

They all walked into the master bedroom. Sam and Dean stood in the middle of the room, looking around. Frank went directly to the bureau and looked down at the surface of the dresser. This was where his Mom used to keep all of her perfumes and cosmetics, though there was nothing there now, of course.

Cas sat Gail down on the bed and he sat down next to her, still holding her hand. He opened his mouth to ask Dean if there was a way that they could request the spirit to appear. But there was no need.

The room started to get cooler, as if someone had suddenly turned on an air conditioner. Then the blinds at the window snapped shut, making the room's lighting dimmer.

A blonde woman appeared in the corner of the room beside the closet. "I was hoping one of you would come back here one day," she said softly. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Hi, Mom," Frank said. His voice was choked with emotion. "It's good to see you."

She smiled. "My son. How big you are. Wait until I tell your father. You look so healthy and strong. Are you happy, Frank?"

"I'm very happy, Mom. This is my wife, Jody," he said, "and we have an adopted son, Robbie. He's at home right now."

"I'm so pleased, Frank," Christina said. Then she looked at Gail, who was standing up slowly from the bed. Cas stood with her.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you about the adoption," Christina told Gail. "We had planned to tell you, once you got a bit older. We just ran out of time."

"That's all right," Gail said. It was funny, really. A few minutes ago, she'd been nearly hysterical with grief over the murder of this woman, but now that she was looking at Frank's mother's spirit, she felt very calm.

"Is that your husband?" Christina asked Gail.

"Yes, this is Castiel, Mom," Gail told her. "He's an Angel, and so am I."

"I know," Frank's mother said. Then: "How did you die? Did he catch up with you?"

Gail's forehead wrinkled. "Who? Crowley?"

"No. Your father," Christina responded. "Your real father."

Gail's blood ran cold. "My father?!" she exclaimed. "Why? What do you mean?"

"Then, how did you die?" Christina inquired again.

"It's a long story," Gail said, shaking her head. "But, what is this about my father? Do you know my real parents?"

"No," Christina said hastily. "Not at all." But Castiel's wind was up, now. First, she'd asked Gail if her real father had caught up with her, in the context of Gail's death. But now, Frank's mother was denying any knowledge of Gail's parents. Something didn't add up here. "Then why did you ask if Gail's true father had caught up with her? That implies you know something about him," Cas said.

Frank's mother fixed Cas with a baleful look. "Mind your business, Angel," she hissed. Then she looked at Frank again, and her gaze turned warm. "Are you still Hunting, my son?" she asked him.

Frank looked from his mother to Cas and back again, uneasily. That had been weird. He could actually accept his Mom being a ghost, but she had gone all Linda Blair on Cas there for a minute, and that had kind of creeped him out. He tried to remember if he had ever seen his Mom angry before, and he realized he couldn't recall one single time. Cas had only asked her a question, and it had been a very logical one. But this was Frank's Mom, after all, and she had asked her son a question now. "Yes, Mom," he answered her. "Jody is a former Sheriff, and she's a Hunter too, and these two guys are Sam and Dean Winchester. They're brothers, and they're also Hunters. Gail and Cas are working on a mission to recapture Lucifer, and we're all helping them."

"Lucifer?" Christina said. "And you and Gail are working on this together?"

"Yeah, Mom," Frank said, sounding like the teenage boy he'd once been in this house. "You and Dad would be very proud of us, if you could see us in action."

"Your father and I ARE very proud of you, Frank," she remarked.

Cas's blood started to boil. He didn't care about Frank's mother having spoken to him the way she did, but Christina was ignoring Gail altogether now. She may not be his wife's birth mother, but the woman had raised Gail as if she were her own. Didn't that count for anything? Why would Christina tell Frank that she was proud of him, but not tell Gail the same thing? "What about Gail?" Cas blurted out.

Christina looked at him, and the light in her eyes went out. "What about her?" she asked.

"Are you not proud of her, too?" Cas said, his voice starting to rise.

"Yes. Certainly. Of course," Christina said. But her voice was flat. Suddenly, the closet door flew open. "If you look on the floor under the loose floorboard, you'll find what you seek," Christina said to Gail. "But, I have to warn you: Be very sure that what you seek is really what you want to find. Once you open that door, it can't be closed again."

Gail was feeling several different emotions now, all at once. They were doing battle inside her now. It was not lost on her that the mother she remembered was behaving very strangely. She had started out all sweet and nice, but as soon as Gail had spoken directly to her, Christina had mysteriously turned. Did she have something against Angels, maybe? Was that why she had spoken to Cas so harshly? Gail had never seen Frank's mother that way before. And that comment about Gail's real father had really disturbed her. She had been raised by this woman, and now all Christina was doing was creeping Gail out.

"Wow. Did they send you to Ghost School when you died, to learn how to say all kinds of cryptic, eerie things?" Gail quipped nervously. She was using her go-to defense mechanism now. Gail didn't understand what the hell was wrong here. She only knew that the one woman she'd relied on for love and protection when she'd been a child was now treating her as if she had leprosy, or something.

Christina looked at her coolly. "Oh, so you do have your own voice. I thought maybe the apple didn't fall too far from the tree."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cas bristled.

"You'll find out, if you decide to pursue the issue," Christina said evasively.

Gail walked up to the closet, glanced at Frank's mother, and then went into the closet. She knelt down on the floor and found the loose floorboard. She pried it open with her fingernails, reached inside, and pulled out a manila envelope. Then she stood up and came out of the closet holding it in her hand, looking at Christina again.

"You were always stubborn, even as a toddler," Christina said to Gail. She nodded at the envelope. "If you decide to open that, just remember that I warned you."

Cas had had it. He strode over to the bedroom doorway where Irene was standing, and put his hand on the realtor's forehead, rendering her unconscious. He laid her down on the bed. Then he rushed over to where Gail and Christina stood. "I want to thank you and your husband for taking Gail in and raising her," he said to Christina in a clipped tone. "Having said that, I have no idea why you would treat her so shabbily now. Her parentage is not her fault, nor is the fact that she is an Angel now. She is the finest, most lovable person I have ever met, and if you do not care to speak to Gail with a civil tongue, she does not need to speak with you." He grabbed Gail's hand. "I'm sorry, Frank," Cas said to Gail's brother. "Enjoy your visit. We'll be waiting outside." Then he winked Gail out of the house.

"Do you want me to keep that for you, until you decide if you want to open it?" Cas asked Gail, indicating the envelope she still held in her hand.

She was standing, stunned, on the sidewalk at the front of the house, where Cas had winked them. He extended his arm and she handed him the envelope, which he stashed in the inside pocket of his blazer.

"What the hell was that, Cas?" Gail said, dazed. "I don't know that woman. She's Frank's mother, the woman I thought was my mother. But I have no idea why she was like that towards me. And the way she talked to you? I know I'm not hers, but I always thought she loved me, Cas. I don't know what I'm supposed to have done..." Her eyes started to blur with tears.

"Come here, please," he said, and he took her in his arms. Gail was crying again, and Cas was angry again. He could see no reason why it had been necessary to hurt Gail like this. If Frank's mother knew something about Gail's true parentage, something that could possibly be detrimental to Gail, why would she not have just told her about it?

Dean came down the porch steps and approached them. "Is she OK?" he asked Cas.

Cas frowned. "She will be. I'll make sure of it."

"Frank wants you back up there for a second," Dean told him. "I'll stay here with Gail."

"Me?" Cas said, surprised. "Why me? Why not Gail? This is her house, and it's she who is owed the apology."

"I don't know, Cas, just - " Dean gestured to the house in frustration. He was angry, too. Frank's mom was up there right now talking sweetly to her son, while she had basically just been nuking Gail, ever since she'd manifested. How fair was that? What could Gail have done to make her behave that way? Dean didn't blame Cas for being mad. It was obvious that Gail had been crying. What the hell was Frank's mother's problem?

Cas pulled out of the embrace, touching Gail's face. He wiped the tears on her cheeks away with his thumbs. "I'll be back in just a moment," he said to her. "Dean will stay here with you."

She sniffled back the tears. "I know. I heard," she said. Gail was getting annoyed now. She was sick of crying. If she had been led here to get information on her real parents, presumably the envelope she had given to Cas to hold contained that information. Now, as far as Gail was concerned, she was done here. She looked at Cas. He was hanging back, a concerned look on his face. "Go ahead, sweetie," she told him. "I'll see you in a minute." He hesitated another moment, then popped into the house.

Gail wiped her eyes with her hands, smiling wryly at Dean. "Sorry for being such a crybaby," she said to him.

Dean's heart hurt for her. He knew Gail very well by now, and he didn't think she was a crybaby. Not at all. "I didn't know Frank's mom was such a dick," he said to her.

Gail looked at him, and then she burst out laughing. "Dean! That's terrible!" she said. But she continued to laugh.

Dean snuck a look back at the house, then he looked at her again. "Don't tell Frank I said that; he'll knock me into next week," he said furtively. He was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "Seriously, Gail, what the hell was that? Who's your dad, anyway? Hitler?"

She shrugged. "I sincerely hope not, but that wouldn't even surprise me anymore," she half-joked. Then she sighed. "You know what, Dean? I never really felt like I belonged here. All the time I was growing up in this house, I never really felt like I was a part of it or belonged to the family who lived in it. Frank and I were never close growing up; we just became close out of necessity, after we were forced to leave here. Does that sound weird?"

"No," Dean answered soberly. "Between you and me, I doubt that Sammy and I would be as close as we are if I hadn't gone to his college to get him that day. He had already pulled away from us. If you and Frank hadn't had to go on the run, like we had to go on the road, you probably wouldn't be as close as you are now, either."

She nodded slowly. "The only silver lining," she said. "We have a much better relationship now." She put her hand on Dean's arm. "Thanks," she said to him. "You always know what to say to make me feel better." She stretched up to kiss him on the cheek.

"So THAT'S why you wanted to be alone with my wife," Cas said lightly. He was leading the rest of the group out of the house and down the steps.

"Oh, absolutely," Dean said, smirking. "Gail and I are running away in Baby. She needs to see what real driving looks like."

Cas smiled and took Gail's hand. She smiled back at him, and then looked at Frank. "Is everything OK?" she asked him.

Frank looked uncomfortable. "I should be asking YOU that."

Gail shrugged. "Yeah, sure. I guess so." She looked up at the house. "Why did you ask for Cas to come back? Did she want to apologize to him, I hope?"

Cas squeezed her hand briefly. "She had some additional remarks to make," he told her quietly. "I'll tell you in the car."

Frank opened his mouth, then closed it again. What a strange situation this was. His mother had been very warm and loving with him, but standoffish at best to Gail, and downright rude to Cas. Frank had no idea why. He almost felt like he should apologize to them, or something. After Gail and Cas had left the room, Frank's mother had told him again that she was very proud of him, and she'd said how happy she was that he had such a wonderful family. There had been no mention of Gail at all. That was when Dean had lost it. He couldn't believe that the woman could be so insensitive. Hopefully she had treated Gail better than that when Gail was growing up. But Dean figured he'd better get out of there before he smarted off, so he'd left the room then, promising he would send Cas back up, as Frank had requested. Then, when Cas had popped back in, Frank's mother had looked at Cas and said, "Maybe I was a bit harsh with her. But I just wanted her to be leery of opening that door. I realize it's her right to do so, but just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

While Cas understood the logic of what she was saying, he was still angry. "Gail," he said shortly.

"What?" Christina said, puzzled.

"Her name is Gail," he said, tight-lipped. "I don't think I've heard you use her name even once, in all the time we've been here." Then Cas had looked at Sam. "Now that Gail has that envelope, is the spirit released from the house?" Cas asked him, gesturing to Christina.

"Yeah, she probably is, Cas," Sam replied, careful to keep a straight face for Frank's sake. He'd appreciated Cas's very deliberate use of the term "the spirit" in relation to Christina, though. He was also very upset on Gail's behalf. "That might be the thing that was tying her to the house," he concluded.

Cas looked at Christina coldly. "Then, if that is the case, Gail hereby releases you from any sense of obligation you may have had. I will take it from here, and I can assure you, I will treat Gail with all the love and kindness that she deserves." He turned to look at Frank. "Go ahead and finish your visit. Gail and I will be waiting outside."

But Frank had found that he had nothing further to say, really, and he wanted to see how Gail was doing. So he had taken Jody's hand, and they had all left the house together.

Cas took charge now. "Gail and I are going to get in our car and go back to the highway," he told the others. "We will talk alone, and then we'll call you when we're done, to determine the plan going forward." Then he led Gail to their car without another word, and she followed him quietly. Cas opened the car door for her and she got in, then he walked around to the driver's side and got in. They drove away, and Gail did not look back.


	4. Bittersweet Symphony

Chapter 4 - Bittersweet Symphony

"Would you like to go somewhere, where we can sit down and talk privately?" Cas asked Gail, as soon as they pulled away from the house. "I don't feel I can give you the proper attention, if I'm driving on the highway."

Gail shrugged listlessly. "Sure, Cas. Whatever you think."

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. It was a good thing that they weren't with Frank right now, because Cas had some choice words to say about his mother. He drove for a few blocks and turned into the parking lot of a motel. He parked in front of the office, then looked at Gail questioningly.

"Go ahead and get us a room, sweetie," she told him tonelessly. "I'll wait here."

Cas rushed into the office and used the two-finger system to get them a room in the back. He pulled the car around and parked it in front of the room, getting their bags out of the trunk, just in case. He let himself and Gail in, then he threw the key on the table and put their bags down on the floor.

Gail drifted over to one of the chairs and sat down. She still looked dazed. Cas sighed heavily. He was going to have to shake her out of her doldrums so that they could begin to communicate. He reached into his inside pocket and took out the envelope, dropping it on the table.

"Do you want to open it, or would you like me to?" Cas said to her. "Or, would you like to drive back to that house and tell her to put it somewhere that would be anatomically impossible for a spirit?"

It took a moment, but Gail looked up at him, smiling slowly. Then she stood and launched herself into his arms.

"I love you, Cas," she told him, kissing his face. "Thank you for sticking up for me like you did back there, and for always taking care of me."

"You don't have to thank me for that," he told her softly. "You might as well thank me for drawing breath. I love you, and I will always take care of you." He gave her a squeeze, then kissed her on the mouth. "I'm sorry she hurt your feelings, Gail," Cas said to her. "I have no idea why she would have behaved like that." He came out of the embrace and nodded towards the envelope. "It's obviously got something to do with that. You know, if you don't want to open it, we don't have to. I could just burn it, if you don't want to know."

"No," she said quickly. Then: "Maybe. I don't know, Cas. I'm going to have to think about it for a while."

"Fair enough," he said, nodding.

Gail laughed shortly, without much humour. "Dean said my father might be Hitler."

"What?!" Cas exclaimed.

"Well, not literally, of course," she continued. "But we were wondering what was up with what she said back there. What did she say when you went back in the house?"

Cas told her what had transpired. "She expressed a modicum of regret, but not nearly as much as she should have," he said to Gail. "Nevertheless, I told her that if that envelope was the only thing that was binding her to the house, you released her of her obligation. Sam said that should be enough to enable her to move on. Then, I told her that I would take care of you from now on, and that I would treat you with all of the love and kindness that you deserve. And, just so you know, that would be all of the love and kindness that exists, and then some."

Tears came to her eyes again, but this time, they were happy tears. "I love you so much, Cas. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you."

"You were born, that's what," he told her simply. "You and I were always meant to be together. You did nothing to deserve me, because it is me who doesn't know what I ever did to deserve you. But when every new day dawns, I thank our Father for the gift that is you."

Gail's lip was trembling, but she was smiling. "Let's take that envelope and put it in our house somewhere, until I decide what I want to do with it. Right now, our priority is Lucifer."

Cas nodded. "Agreed. Should we call the others now?"

Gail put her arms around his neck. "Let's wait half an hour or so," she said, and now, her eyes were twinkling.

Cas started to smile. "Once again, we agree." He kissed her on the mouth, and she gave him her tongue.

"You know how much I love it when you stick up for me," she said between kisses.

"I'm glad, because I'll be doing that for eternity," Cas said, nuzzling her cheek with his. He licked her ear, and she made a sound.

Then he led her over to the bed and sat her down, kneeling on the floor in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with his tongue. She put her legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

"Please make love to me, Cas," she said to him. "I need to feel loved. I need your love."

"I can do that," he breathed, and he began to take off her clothes.

Barry had asked Robbie to set the table for supper, and he was at the stove listening to the reassuring sounds of dishes and silverware being placed on the table when suddenly, the noises ceased. Barry turned around, and Robbie was just standing there, with the forks in his hand.

"Uhhh...Earth to Robert," Barry said with amusement. "There's no way you've forgotten where the forks go, so I'm going to guess that you're just daydreaming. Thinking of another story?"

"No," Robbie answered him in a slow, dreamy voice. "Aunt Gail has an envelope, and it has something to do with me."

Barry looked at him, astonished. This was the first time he had ever seen Robbie like this, and it frightened him a little. "Are you all right, Robbie?" he said uncertainly.

"Sure. I'm good, Barry," Robbie said cheerfully, and suddenly, he was speaking in Lucifer's voice. The child turned his head to look at Barry, and his eyes were glazed over. But he was smiling. "I'm great, in fact. But none of you will be, when I send my death squads out. I killed ya once, Barry, and I'd have no problem doing it again. And then, after Tommy buries you, Wyatt will be only too happy to console him."

"Shut up," Barry said, stunned. "We're coming for you. Cas is going to lock you up, and then you'll never be able to mess with any of us ever again."

"Cas?" Lucifer sneered, using Robbie's mouth to do it. "You think so? He's too busy going to bed with his little wifey and wiping up her tears to worry about what I'm doing. Don't even bother fantasizing about him, Barry. If it wasn't for the fact that Gail likes you, Cas would never even give somebody like you a second look. He's way out of your league."

"Hey, hon, is supper just about - " Tommy strode into the kitchen, but he stopped short when he saw the way that Barry was staring at Robbie. "What's wrong?" Tommy asked.

His entrance broke the spell, and Robbie was back to himself again. The boy looked at the forks he still held in his hand, and then he resumed setting the table.

Barry was still staring at the child, his face ashen. Jody and Frank had told him and Tommy that Robbie had begun to exhibit signs of precognizance, but this? It had been almost too much for him to handle.

"Go play video games until we call you for supper, Robbie," Barry said to the boy.

Robbie looked at his dads, and then he shrugged. That was OK with him. He hurried down the hallway, before Barry could change his mind.

Cas was laying on top of Gail, supporting himself with his elbows so he wasn't too heavy for her. He had already made love to her twice, but when he had moved to roll off of her, she had clung to him. So he had stayed. Now he was kissing her face tenderly and she was smiling, caressing his back and shoulders.

It was funny, Gail thought; usually Cas was the one who got carried away. He would keep going and going until she was the one to move away or say that they should rest. But right now, she was soaking up his love like a sponge. It had hurt her a great deal to have been treated so badly by the spirit of the woman who she'd thought was her mother for all of those years. Now that she'd thought about it, really thought about it, Gail had realized that neither Frank's mother nor his father had ever been particularly affectionate with her, not the way they had been with her brother. They had fed Gail and clothed her, but it had felt like more of an obligation they'd had than something that they were happy to do. Or maybe she was just reaching, looking for an explanation as to why she had always felt like she didn't really belong in that house, with those parents. That must have been why she had spent so much time with her nose in her books. She must have been searching for something. Love? Kindness? A sense of belonging? All of the above?

Well, she had all three now, and so much more, and it all began and ended with the man who was kissing her so lovingly right now.

"You're so wonderful," she told him, touching his face with both hands. She ran her fingers through his hair and brought his face closer to hers, kissing him on the mouth. Her tongue traced his lips and he opened his mouth, making his tongue dance with hers. She was being so loving, Cas thought, and she was reaching out, sweetly asking for his love in return. He understood why she was behaving this way now, and his heart ached for her. He imagined her as a little girl, watching Frank's parents shower him with love and praise but looking through Gail, as though she were merely a piece of furniture to be walked past, maybe dusted once in a while.

"You're the one who is wonderful," Cas told her. "And sweet, and loving, and special. I feel sorry for them, because they didn't realize what a precious jewel you are. Mon petit bijou."

Gail smiled. She remembered when he had been Lancelot, and he had called her that. It had flustered them both, because it was such a personal term of endearment, and she had been married to another man at the time. But it had been sexy when he'd said it back then, and it was sexy right now.

"I think you need to call me that more often," she said, starting to caress him again. "It's very sexy."

"Do you really think so?" Cas asked her, smiling. He was kissing her neck now, and he was becoming excited again, enjoying her compliments, and her love. "How about if I do this? Is this sexy, too?" He pushed forward into her, surprising her. She made a noise that was partway between a squeak, and a moan. "Oh, yes," she told him breathlessly. "I love you so much, Cas."

He gathered her up in his arms, pushing harder into her, and Gail was saying his name, breathing it into his ear. Her lips grazed his ear, and he moaned her name.

Then he was done, already. But he knew that she was not, so he moved down her body and made love to her with his lips and his tongue. She was crying out, telling him how good it was. He wanted to tell her that he loved her so, but he didn't want to stop what he was doing, because it was making her so happy. She had her hands on his head now, and she was running her fingers through his hair again, saying his name over and over.

When she was finally still, Cas came back up and held her, and now the words of love that he'd been holding back came pouring out of him.

Gail was crying happy tears again. She was so lucky. Cas had known just what she'd needed, and he'd given it to her, without any questions. And it wasn't just the sex, although that had been fantastic, as always. It was about the intimacy, and the love. It was about the fact that she'd been that little kid again, feeling unloved and unwanted, like a stranger in her own life. But Cas was giving her assurance that she was loved, and she was wanted. She had a life now. She was the Angel Gail, and she was married to the most wonderful Angel that Heaven had ever known. Out of all the Angels he could have picked throughout the centuries, he had waited for her, and he'd made the ultimate commitment to her. He protected her fiercely, both physically and emotionally, while giving her the freedom to be who she was.

Then she stopped crying and smiled instead. She was no longer a child, she was a woman. She didn't just retreat into a fantasy world any more, she took action. They were going to take care of Lucifer, and Mark, and Jason, and anyone who tried to stand against Heaven. And then, they were going to go back to Heaven and do everything they could to make it the kind of place that it should be. Gail didn't need anyone's praise, or approval. As long as Cas loved her and she loved herself, and she was able to go out there every day knowing that she was living her life the right way, that should be enough.

"Thank you, Cas," she said to him. "Thank you, sweetie. I feel better now. Thank you for understanding me."

He came out of the embrace, smiling warmly at her. "I do understand you, my love," he told her. "Everyone has a need to feel loved, and special. But it's unbelievable to me that you should have to feel that way. You, of all people. You should have been showered with love. You are the most wonderful person there has ever been."

"Well, you might be just a teensy bit biased," she said with a smile.

He smiled back. "I'm completely biased, but that doesn't make it any less true."

Gail's lips were twitching furiously now. "You should see your hair. It's sticking up all over the place," she told him, laughing.

"Well, whose fault is that?" he teased her in a gentle tone.

"Yours," she replied pertly. "You just get me so excited."

His smile widened. "Would you like me to excite you less, next time?"

"No!" she exclaimed. "I'll never tease you about your hair again, I promise!"

Cas kissed her softly on the forehead. "Feel free to tease me about anything you want, any time you like," he said to her. "I would much rather see you happy and smiling, as you are now, than sad and crying. Please disregard anyone else's opinion of you, Gail. If they can't see you for the treasure that you really are, you must know that they are wrong."

He kissed her on the mouth once more, and then he said, "I have to get up now; otherwise, we're going to be here for days."

Gail smiled again. "Promise me, when everything's over, we'll do that, sometime."

"It's a promise," he replied. He reluctantly rose from the bed and walked over to where he had put their bags on the floor when they had first come in. He zipped his open, selecting a fresh pair of shorts. Then he walked over to the bathroom, giving Gail one more warm look before he left the room.

"What in the ever-loving holy hell was that?" Dean was asking his brother. They had found a bar in the neighbourhood of Frank and Gail's old house, and they were each nursing a beer. Dean didn't actually believe in drinking and driving as a rule, but on the other hand, he was pretty sure he could sneak one or two in before they heard from Cas.

"I know, right?" Sam agreed. He had no idea, either. That had been one of the weirdest things he had ever seen coming from a ghost. And that was saying a lot. "Still, I guess it was nice for Frank to be able to see his mom again and hear her say all those nice things to him."

"Yeah. To HIM," Dean said, frowning. "But what about the way she just nuked Gail? There's something fishy going on there, Sammy. She knows something about the dad, and it's not good. I was joking around with Gail that her father was Hitler."

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed, but his brother shrugged. "She laughed," Dean said. "She said that wouldn't surprise her. You know how she is, Sam. If you don't make her laugh, she'll cry, instead. And I just didn't want to see her that way. That was a lousy thing Frank's mom did. I don't even know why they adopted Gail in the first place, if they didn't care about her."

"Frank was talking about growing up there like it was Little House On The Prairie," Sam remarked, taking a sip of his beer.

"Sure he was, 'cause for him, it probably was," Dean said, doing the same. "It sounds like he was the only kid they gave a damn about. But I bet if we asked Gail what it was like growing up there, we'd get some different answers. I don't care how much you like books, Sammy, no kid spends that much time escaping the real world unless the real world is a crapfest for them."

I did. Because sometimes, it was, Sam thought with a flash of resentment. But he didn't say anything, because he didn't feel like starting a fight. Instead, he looked at his brother and said, "If that had been our Mom, I wonder what she would have said to us?"

Dean paused in the act of taking another sip of beer. He put his bottle down gently on the table, looking thoughtful. "I think she'd say that we turned out pretty great, Sammy. Not perfect, maybe, but pretty damn great."

Both brothers sat silently for a moment, deep in their own thoughts.

"What would you say to her?" Sam asked Dean quietly.

His brother looked at him sharply. Dean considered a flip answer, but Sam had that puppydog look on his face now, and Dean couldn't take both the doe eyes and the puppy face all in one day. So he said, "That I love her. That I hope she's happy, wherever she is. And that, all things considered, her kids are happy, and not to worry about us."

Sam stared at his brother, waiting for him to make a wisecrack, but this time, there was none. He lifted his beer bottle in salute, and the brothers drank silently for a few minutes.

At his request, Jody had driven herself and Frank to the park where he used to meet with his childhood friends. He'd wanted to see the place, and he needed some fresh air.

Jody was sitting on a picnic table near the pond where Frank used to come to feed the ducks in the summertime. There were no ducks now, nor any other birds. In fact, the pond was very close to freezing over for the winter.

Frank was pacing on the grass in front of the picnic table, and the grass was crunching under his feet. The sky was grey and cloudy. Night would be falling soon. Already. What a depressing place this was in the winter, Frank thought.

"All those years ago..." Frank started to say. His voice cracked with emotion, and he tried again. "Crowley sends his Demons to murder my parents all those years ago, and he just gets away with it. He wrecked our lives, Jody. I'm screwed up, and Gail's a basket case, and now my Mom has been reduced to some creepy-ass ghost who doesn't even have the decency to be polite to the kid she chose to adopt! What the hell, Jody?! What am I supposed to do with that?" he fumed.

Jody frowned. "You're gonna do what you told Gail you were gonna do. You're going to take the good memories of your childhood away with you when you leave here, and leave any bad memories behind, in that house. That's what I did, Frank. That's all you can do."

He stopped pacing and came over to where she was sitting. "I really love you, Jodes," he told her, taking her in his arms. "I hope you know that."

"Yes, of course I know that, Frank," she said softly.

"Well, look on the bright side," Frank said to her, pulling out of the embrace. "At least you don't have to worry about your mother-in-law criticizing your cooking, or your child-rearing." He laughed shortly. "Especially the child-rearing. Wow. I never realized it before, Jody. I thought we had a perfect, Leave It To Beaver-type upbringing. But now that I've had a chance to think about it, I can't recall one single instance where I ever saw my Mom or Dad give Gail a hug or pay her even one compliment. They were good to me, and I had a happy childhood here. Even when I found out about Dad being a Hunter. He started to train me, and I felt really cool, like a superhero, or something. And my Mom supported me. But it was almost like Gail was the ghost. Like she was a guest in what was supposed to be her own home, and not even a very welcome one." He sighed. "I feel like a big piece of crap, Jodes. I never once thought about how that made her feel. I was too busy being the favourite son. The one they actually wanted."

Jody's forehead wrinkled. "But that's just it: Why would you adopt a child you don't really want?"

"Obligation," Frank answered quickly.

Jody nodded. That had been her first thought, too. "I wonder what's in that envelope," she mused aloud.

"I don't know if she even wants to know," Frank replied. Now he was frowning, too. "I didn't like what my Mom had to say about Gail's dad. It sounded like she thought that he had murdered her, or something. Maybe I should talk to Gail, if she feels like listening to me. Maybe my Mom was right. Maybe Gail's better off not knowing."

Suddenly, Jody's cell phone rang. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. She looked at Frank, then answered it.

"Hi, Nelly," Jody said. "What's up?"

"I got your test results back," her doctor said.

Jody's heart sank. "I thought you said it was going to take a couple of weeks."

"I called in some favours," Dr. Vukovic said. "I figured I owed it to you."

There was silence for a moment. "Well?" Jody said, raising her voice.

"It's benign, Jody," Nelly said. "You're in perfect health."

Jody closed her eyes, letting out the breath she'd been holding. "Oh, thank God. Thank you, Nelly. This is a great time for good news like that. You have no idea."

"I'm glad," Nelly said, smiling. "Well, I'll let you go, so you can share the good news with Frank."

Jody hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket, looking at her husband.

"Boobs OK?" he quipped, and Jody laughed. Her Frank. "Yeah, boobs OK," she confirmed.

He took her in his arms again, and this time, she could hear him fighting back the tears. "Thank God," Frank said softly. "Thank you, God."

After a moment, he pulled out of the hug and reached into his pants pocket for his own cell phone. "I'm gonna call the guys. We need to have a drink, to celebrate."

"The guys?" Jody asked him suspiciously.

"Yeah. Sam and Dean," Frank replied. He grinned sheepishly. "I may or may not have told Sam what was going on."

"Frank!" Jody exclaimed. "What the hell?!"

"Come on, Jody. You and Sam are friends from way back," Frank said ingratiatingly. "In fact, I often wonder if you and he wouldn't have ended up getting together if I hadn't come along."

Jody sighed. "Don't try to change the subject. I told you, I didn't want it getting around the bunker. I don't want Robbie to hear something, and maybe misunderstand. There's no reason for him to know anything about it, unless...there's a reason for him to know about it." She was annoyed with Frank, but she was also doing the dance of joy inside. Not that she'd been overly worried about it, she told herself. But still, what a relief.

Frank was staring at her now. "Elephant," he said to his wife. She said nothing, but she knew what he was getting at. Actually, it was surprising that the elephant had been kept at bay for this long. But then again, they hadn't had much time for talking since they'd gotten back from Romania. "I'll bet you a million bucks he already knows, Jodes," Frank continued.

She sighed. "I guess you're probably right," she agreed reluctantly. "What the hell, Frank?"

He shook his head slowly. "I don't know, Jody." Then he smiled faintly. "Maybe we should try to find out if Gail and Robbie were placed out of the same adoption agency. Maybe it was an agency for hard-to-place kids. Who the hell wants a psychic baby? There are a lot of things that are none of your kid's business." Frank was just riffing now, joking nervously. This was all too weird for him. His sister and his son, both adopted, both psychic. Cas had apparently hoovered most of Gail's powers out of her shortly after the two of them had first met, but she still had very strong intuitions sometimes. And now, it looked as though Robbie might be following in the same footsteps. Was it pure coincidence, or was there something going on here that they needed to know about?

"We've got to find out what's in that envelope, Frank," Jody said to him. "This may not just be about Gail, after all."

Frank was frowning. This whole thing just stunk to high Heaven. "I'll call Sam and Dean," he told his wife. "If I know Dean, and I do, they've gone to a bar. And I don't know about you, but I could sure use a drink right about now."

Jody nodded, hopping off the picnic table. "OK. And then we'll all play Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who's going to have to bite the bullet and call Cas and Gail."

Frank smiled ruefully. "Maybe we'd better have one of the boys do it. I'm not sure if she'll be speaking to me."

Jody could have pointed out that it wasn't Frank that Gail or Cas should be mad at, but this wasn't the time or place for that argument. And she wanted a drink, too. So she pointed to the phone in Frank's hand instead and said, "Make the call."

Cas figured he had time. Gail generally took fifteen minutes or so to shower, especially if she decided to wash her hair. So he waited until she went into the bathroom and closed the door, and then he winked out of their room to the crossroads, shouting Crowley's name.

Crowley popped out of Hell, holding his head for dramatic effect. "What's all the shouting about, Cast-"

Cas didn't give him a chance to finish. He grabbed Crowley and punched him in the face, and then he punched him again. Then he shoved the King of Hell away from him in disgust.

Crowley wiped his mouth with his hand, and it came away bloody. "What the bloody hell?!" he exclaimed.

Cas was shaking with rage. "You have never been brought to account for the murders of their parents," he said angrily.

"Don't you mean, Frank's parents?" Crowley said, dabbing at his mouth with his pocket handkerchief.

"If you make one more smart comment, I will cut your throat," Cas said in his quiet voice. "Do not test me."

"What do you want me to say, Castiel? What's done is done," Crowley said tonelessly. "Even if I were to say that it shouldn't have happened, the fact remains that it did, and you wouldn't care if I expressed regret, anyway. I'm the bad guy, aren't I? I always have been, and I always will be. Never mind that there is evil out there that is much, much worse than I ever dreamed of being."

"What are you talking about, Crowley?" Cas shouted. "I don't have the time or the patience for your games!"

"Where's your wife?" Crowley countered. "Does she know you're here?"

"No," Cas admitted.

"Well, why don't you go and get her, then?" Crowley sighed. "I'll wait. If we can strike up a bargain, I'll tell you what you want to know."

Cas's eyes narrowed. Why was his Brother being so cooperative, all of a sudden? But he'd better strike while the iron was hot. When he had been showering back at the motel, Cas had had time to think. There were too many vague, cryptic comments being made, and he'd had enough of it. Crowley was the mastermind behind the murders of Frank's parents, the reason for all of this pain and heartache in the first place. But Cas was now realizing there was much, much more to this story than they knew. How had he not seen it before? Why had Crowley sent Demons to the house that day? Was it simply because Frank's father was a Hunter? No, that couldn't have been it, because the King of Hell had subsequently had his minions abduct Frank and Gail, precipitating all the events which had happened in their lives since. But it had occurred to Cas that they had never actually established why Crowley had been so keen to acquire the siblings in the first place. They'd assumed that it had been for the psychic and healing powers that Gail had possessed at the time, but now, Cas was sure that they had been wrong about that. He loved Gail more than life itself, but the powers that she had demonstrated then were certainly not unique. Many humans possessed psychic abilities, and although healing powers were much more rare in mortals, they were hardly unheard of. No, there was more to the story, and Cas was determined to get to the bottom of it. Frank's mother had implied that Gail's real father was a threat to her, and Crowley was going to tell them what he knew, or else.

"I will wait here, but I'm not going to wait all night," Crowley said with a touch of irritation in his voice.

"Fine," Cas said in a clipped tone, winking himself back to the motel.

When Gail came out of the bathroom a couple of minutes later, Cas informed her of the situation, and she stared at him. Once again, her emotions about what he was telling her were mixed. She guessed she agreed with Cas. She had also had the chance to think about the whole mess while she'd been in the shower, and her temper had been growing short, as well. This was her life, and somebody had damn well better start doing some talking. Crowley would be a good place to start, if you could believe anything that came out of his mouth. But Gail did believe that Crowley knew something about her true parentage. He'd pretty much admitted that he did, in Romania. They hadn't exactly been on speaking terms since Crowley had defected to Lucifer's side, though. And speaking of Lucifer, weren't they supposed to be concentrating on him right now? Gail hadn't even decided whether or not she wanted to open that envelope yet, and now, Cas wanted to force the issue.

She sighed. Who was she kidding? There was no way she would be able to leave this alone, ghostly warning or no ghostly warning. The need to find out who her real parents were was much too strong.

"All right, Cas," Gail said, going into her bag and getting out a fresh set of clothes to put on. She glanced at the table once she was dressed, seeing that his jacket was draped over the chair. Then she looked back at him. "Did you leave your blade here?" she asked him curiously.

Cas let out a breath. "Yes, I did," he admitted. "I was too afraid that if I took it with me, I would just start stabbing him, and be unable to stop. And while it wouldn't have killed him, it would certainly have made him disinclined to answer our questions," he added dryly.

Gail's lips were twitching now. "Yet, you punched him out."

Cas started to smile. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm an Angel, not a Saint," he replied.

Gail laughed. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a loud, smacking kiss on the cheek. "OK, let's go see the King of Smell," she said, and they winked over to the crossroads.

"We were just in a certain house in Denver I believe you might be familiar with," Gail said to Crowley in a cool tone. "I understand you might have something to say to me about that."

"As I told Castiel, I may be willing to strike up a bargain with you," Crowley countered. "A sort of quid pro quo, as it were."

Gail was half-angry, half-amused. "Who are you, Hannibal Lecter?" she said, rolling her eyes. "Why should I do a deal with you? Why don't you just come clean, for once in your life? Haven't you done enough crap to me?"

Crowley smirked. "If you're referring to my body of work as the Supreme Ruler of Hell, then yes, I have quite an extensive resume. But if you're asking me to do something out of the goodness of my black, black heart, you're dreaming, sweetheart."

Gail was seething now. "You owe me," she told him. "You know you do."

"Well, you should have thought of that before you lifted your skirts, Guinevere," Crowley retorted.

Gail lost it. "Oh my God! I'm getting so sick of you and your snide remarks! Have a pity party, why don't you? You had no shortage of female companionship, from the day we got married! I'm so tired of your double standards! All of you! Wake up and smell the coffee, Crowley. This isn't the Middle Ages, and I'm not some dewy-eyed damsel. Not any more. Castiel and I are in love, and we will always be in love, and if you can't accept that, that's too bad. But if you're still pouting over what happened in Camelot, then maybe you should just grow up. It wasn't me and my skirts that was the problem. It was you and your damn torch!"

She stood there, breathing heavily from the adrenaline her anger had produced, and the vehemence of her speech.

Crowley looked at her appraisingly for a moment, and then his expression softened. "You know, I think your wife might have an even hotter temper than yours, when she gets going," he said to Castiel. "And that's really saying something. All right, sweetheart. I'll tell you something for free, then. I didn't kill Frank's parents, nor did any of my minions."

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed. "You've got to be kidding me with this!"

Crowley shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me whether you believe it or not. It's true, nonetheless."

"I saw Demons out the kitchen window, coming towards the house!" she fumed.

"Just because there were Demons present, that doesn't mean they did the dastardly deed," Crowley retorted.

"Oh, right. I guess they were there for a Tupperware party, then," Gail said, her voice loaded with sarcasm. "So, Demons are in our backyard, my parents are dead, and you claim the Demons didn't do it? Well, who did, then? The butler? How gullible do you think I am?"

"You didn't happen to hear a man's voice at the time of the murders, did you?" the King of Hell asked her coolly. "And was this man by any chance laughing?"

Gail's blood ran ice cold. That was exactly what she had heard, and the laugh had been so maniacal that it had given her nightmares for years afterwards.

"What do you know, Crowley?" Cas asked him angrily. He had been silent all that time, during their exchange. He knew that Gail had needed to vent her anger at Crowley for the events of that day, and Castiel thought it was about time. But what Crowley was saying now was so outrageous that Cas had felt the need to interject. Cas hadn't believed the King of Hell either at first, but the look of shock on Gail's face now gave him pause.

Crowley looked at Cas. "Typical. I give you one chocolate, and now, you want the whole box. I told you, quid pro quo. At the risk of sounding like I want fava beans and a nice chianti," he said, his lips twitching. "I'm not Hannibal, I'm more like the neighbourhood drug dealer. The first one's free; the rest, you have to pay for. I want the two of you to kill my mother."

He had to be kidding with this. "Your mother?" Gail echoed disbelievingly.

Crowley misunderstood her confusion. "Yes, sweetheart. My mother. Rowena," he said sardonically. "The one whose head you chopped off. Risking your husband's ire, I daresay I've never been more turned on by you in my life than when you did that." Cas frowned, but he said nothing, so Crowley went on. "Well, she's back," he told them. "I don't know how, and I don't know who, but someone obviously helped her to escape the Netherworld. As far as I knew, such a thing wasn't even possible. But, here she is, nonetheless. She and I spoke face to face in Romania. So, I want her gone again. That's my offer. Quid pro quo. If one or both of you dispatch her, I'll tell Gail what I know about Frank's parents' murder, and her true lineage."

This was unbelievable. Where did they even start? Cas was the one who spoke first, and his question startled Gail: "How did you know that they were Frank's parents, and not Gail's?"

She was thunderstruck. That was right; they had never bothered to tell Crowley that she'd been adopted, because there had never been a reason to tell him. And, frankly, it was none of his business. But now, he was telling them that not only had he known that fact all along, he also knew something about her real parents?

"Show me one dead redheaded whore, and I'll answer all of your questions," Crowley retorted.

But that was the other thing. Aside from the very welcome confirmation that they had not been the ones responsible for loosing Rowena back on the Earth, Gail had to ask the obvious question: "If you want her dead so badly, why don't you just do it yourself?" she asked Crowley. "What do you need us for?"

"I don't NEED you to do it, sweetheart, I just WANT you to do it. If I'm going to do you a favour, you need to do one for me. It's as simple as that."

"Lucifer is our priority," Castiel told him. "If we were to even discuss any sort of deal, it would have to be after we take care of him. And you can tell your new best friend that we WILL take care of him. And, after we do, the next one I kill may very well turn out to be you." He grabbed Gail's hand and winked them back to the motel as Crowley stood there, gaping at the empty spot where they'd just been.

"I hope you're not upset with me," Cas said to Gail as soon as they were back in their room. "I just can't stand to see him playing with you like that. You've been through quite enough today, as it is."

Gail walked over to the table and sat down heavily in one of the chairs. "No, I'm not upset with you, Cas," she said, dazed. "But, you know what? I don't think Crowley is lying. There WAS a laughing man there that day. I never told Frank that. I never told anyone about it. Maybe HE'S the one who killed Frank's parents. But I just wish Crowley would have given me more information. I don't know what to do, here."

"There's nothing we CAN do, not at the moment," Cas told her softly. "I suggest we meet up with the others and decide where we go from here. But, you know that Lucifer has to be our priority now, don't you? With every moment that passes, I get more and more nervous about what he's planning to do."

"I know, sweetie. Me, too," Gail said to him. She sighed. "Give Sam and Dean a call, then. Then they can call Frank and Jody, and we'll all arrange to meet somewhere. I hope Frank's not too mad at us for just tearing out of there like that."

"I will take the blame for that," Cas remarked. "I lost my temper."

"You?" she said, her lips twitching. "I find that extremely hard to believe." As Cas smiled, Gail picked the envelope up off the table and tapped it on her chin thoughtfully. Then she rose and dropped it in her bag. "Go ahead and call Sam and Dean," she said, zipping up the bag.

Cas and Gail drove to the pub where the Winchesters and Frank and Jody were.

"Two Angels walk into a bar," Sam said, grinning. There was no one close enough to their table to hear, but Dean looked at him sharply. Sam wouldn't be driving, which was a good thing, because he seemed a little drunk to Dean.

Sam actually WAS a little bit drunk, now. He usually hid his emotions better than Dean did, but it had been a very emotional day for Sam, too. He had been just as upset and bewildered as Cas had been on Gail's behalf by the strange turn that their visit to her childhood home had taken, and it had also broken Sam's heart to see her crying like that. But Sam wasn't Gail's husband, he was only her friend. He'd come to terms with that now. But as her friend, Sam had also been angry at the way Frank's mother had spoken to Gail, and to Cas, also. Sam had seen a lot of ghosts in his and Dean's travels, but he didn't think he'd ever seen a bipolar one before. Frank's mom had been sweet as pie to him, but she had been really strange with Gail and Cas. Not to mention those cryptic comments about Gail's real father.

Then, there had been Sam and Dean's conversation earlier, about their own mother. Sam had been just a baby when Mary Winchester was killed; therefore, he'd never known his Mom. At this point, Sam didn't know which would be worse: to have grown up with a parent, only to have them cruelly taken away from you, or never to have known them at all. Sam, Dean and Frank had all experienced one of these scenarios, but now, it appeared that poor Gail had suffered both.

And, there was also the discomfort that was radiating from Frank about what had happened back at the house. In a way, it must suck to be him right now. Frank was acutely aware of the dichotomy between how his mother had treated him, and how she had treated Gail. When Frank and Jody had first gotten here to the bar, Frank had confided in the brothers that he had done some thinking about his and Gail's childhood situations.

"You know, in a lot of ways, I should have figured that something was up," Frank had told them. "Even before I found out that Gail was adopted, I noticed that they treated her a lot differently than they treated me. But, let's face it, I didn't really care. It sounds terrible to say now, but I was just a kid. As long as I was getting everything I wanted, what did I care if Gail sat in her room reading all the time? It wasn't like they abused her, or mistreated her, really. They just weren't affectionate with her, like they were to me. But now, I realize how that must have made her feel. So what am I supposed to do with that? I feel like I should apologize to her."

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong," Jody said vehemently. "She and Cas can't possibly be blaming you. If your parents favoured you, it's not your fault, Frank."

Dean grinned. "Maybe we should just put Jody and Cas in a room and let them duke it out."

Sam laughed. "Don't tell the Angels, but the smart money might be on Jody, in this instance." He lifted his beer bottle in salute to Frank's wife. "And, at the risk of landing Frank in the doghouse, I've gotta say we're thrilled that you're OK, Jodes."

Jody gave him a half-smile. "Well, I'm not thrilled that you knew about it in the first place, but I'm glad I'm OK, too, so I'll overlook it." They clinked bottles and drank.

That was when Cas and Gail walked in, and Frank was eyeing them warily. Gail walked over to where her brother sat and said, "Can you get up, please?"

He looked up at her. "Why?"

Gail smirked. "'Cause it'll be easier for me to kick your ass that way."

Frank started to smile, rising from his chair. "Well, then, have at it," he told her lightly.

"Ahhhh, maybe I'll just do this instead, then," she said. She threw her arms around him and gave him a big hug.

Frank was surprised, but he put his arms around her and hugged her back. "I'm so sorry, kiddo," he said, through the lump that had formed in his throat. "You must think I'm a real dick."

"Of course I do; you're my big brother," she quipped. Then she came out of the embrace. "Of course I don't," she went on. "It's not your fault, Frank. I wish things had been different, but I don't blame you. You were just a kid. We both were."

"Thanks," Frank said, and he hugged her again. Then he pulled out of the hug and looked down at her with a wicked grin. "So, who's your real father? Charles Manson?"

"Frank!" Jody admonished him, but Gail was smiling. "Actually, Dean said Hitler," Gail told her brother, "but I think I should be really insulted by that. I mean, how old does he think I am?"

The siblings laughed together as Jody shook her head. "Man, you guys are weird," she said, sitting back in her chair.

"We know," Frank said cheerfully. Then he looked at Cas. "Are we OK, Cas?" Frank asked him.

Cas let out a breath. "Yes, Frank, we're fine," he replied stiffly. "You cannot be blamed for your parents' shortcomings."

"Have a seat, Cas, but take that stick out, first," Dean said. He hooked a chair with his foot and drew it up next to him.

"Hey, good news," Jody piped up. Like Dean, she thought it would be a good idea to change the subject, in case Cas had more to say about Frank's parents. She told Gail and Cas about her diagnosis, and they each rewarded her with a warm smile, and a hug.

"That's great, Jody!" Gail enthused. "In fact, I may even have a glass of wine, to celebrate. And let's face it, after the day I've had, I could sure use one."

Cas rose from his chair next to Dean and rushed over to the bar as the humans looked at each other with amusement. "Wow. The next time I want him to move, I'll just have YOU ask him," Dean said to Gail, and she smiled. But then her smile faded as she looked at Frank. "I've got something I should tell you, and I figured it had better come from me, because you'd punch out anyone else who said it to you."

"What's that?" her brother asked her, curious.

Gail swallowed, wishing she didn't have to say it. But he had the right to know, if it was true. "Crowley claims he didn't kill your parents."

"Yeah. Right," Frank scoffed.

"When did you see HIM?" Sam asked her.

Gail told all of them about Cas having gone to the crossroads to confront the King of Hell.

"That is excellent!" Frank said, beaming. If he'd been a little bit upset about Gail's husband trash-talking his dead parents a minute ago, he was back on Team Cas now. "You went there and punched him out? Man, I wish I could have seen that," Frank said to Cas, who was returning to the table with Gail's glass of wine. He'd brought nothing for himself. "Are you sure I can't buy you a drink, Cas?" Frank asked him.

Cas shook his head, smiling grimly. "No, thank you, Frank. Besides, you're not going to be so happy with me when I tell you that I believe him."

Frank looked at him, incredulous. "You believe Crowley?"

"Yes, I do," Cas confirmed, "and you know how much I despise him, so you know that's really saying something."

Frank drained his beer, sighing heavily. "Well, you know what, Cas? I don't even know if I care, right now. The fact remains that they're dead, my mother's now a pathetic, creepy ghost, and Crowley's still a douchebag."

"Up top," Dean said, and he and Frank high-fived.

Then Frank sighed again. "So, where do we go from here?"

Cas looked at Gail's brother with sympathy. There had once been a time when Castiel the Angel would have been so focused on the mission at hand that he would have just barreled ahead, with no regard for anyone's feelings. But Gail had shown him that to be that way was wrong. The mission was still paramount, of course, but there could also be room for compassion along the way.

Cas put his hand on Frank's shoulder. "We go to Nevada, Frank," he said.


	5. Lovers In A Dangerous Time

Chapter 5 - Lovers In A Dangerous Time

"I was looking on Google for a place for us to stay," Jody said to everyone. "Originally, Frank and I had been just about to suggest staying here in Denver, but under the circumstances, I think maybe we should just push on for a bit. There's a town in Utah named Glenwood that's got a five-star hotel at a shockingly affordable price. If we take the freeway southwest, we could be there in four hours or so. Then we can spend the night and regroup. Cas, maybe you can call Tommy and find out if there's been any progress."

"That's a very good idea, Jody," Cas said approvingly.

"Utah?" Dean said skeptically. "Isn't that Mormon country? Can we even get a drink there?"

Jody rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you can drink there, Dean. There's a lot more to Utah than just one religious group, you know. I've seen pictures of this town on the Internet, and it's very nice. Very serene-looking. Which could be just what we need, right now. So we spend the night, and maybe hang around for a bit tomorrow, and then we might get going again, depending on what Tommy says."

Dean shrugged. "Yeah. OK, Jody. Sounds good." He guessed it didn't really matter, one way or the other. As long as he had a comfortable bed to sleep in and the place had WiFi, he'd be fine.

As the group got back in their cars and proceeded further down the road towards Utah, Barry and Tommy were having another discussion.

"I think we need to call them and tell them about Robbie," Tommy was telling Barry.

"I don't," Barry disagreed. "If Robbie says anything of any significance, we will, of course. But until then, I don't think we should bother them with generalities, right now. They've got enough going on as it is. The only thing we should be focusing on is getting them that security clearance. We can figure out what's going on with Robbie afterwards. I think if we brought that up right now, it would just be a distraction."

Tommy sighed. "I guess you're right. When did you get to be so smart?"

"When I moved in with you," Barry said warmly, and Tommy took his hand across the kitchen table. It was just the two of them there. They'd had dinner with Robbie and then sent him off to watch TV so they could talk in private.

"But what about that Exorcist stuff, when he started speaking like Lucifer?" Barry said after a minute.

Tommy paused. Barry had told him about it, of course, but Tommy himself hadn't ever seen or heard Robbie do anything remotely like that, and he spent a lot of time with the boy. Arguably, the most of any of them. It seemed so unreal that a part of Tommy wondered if Barry hadn't just imagined that whole thing. Their nerves were all stretched pretty tight, right now.

Finally, he said, "Let's keep an eye on him. If anything like that happens again, we'll call Cas immediately. OK, hon?"

"OK, Tommy," Barry said. He rose from his chair. "Help me clear the table, then let's find a movie to watch with Robbie before we put him to bed."

Tommy got up, too. He pulled Barry to him for a hug and a kiss. "I love you, Barry," he told his partner. "I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate everything you do. Sam and Dean should, too. In fact, the next time I see them, I'm going to remind them of how much you do around here."

"You don't have to do that," Barry said, smiling. "It's just enough that you said it." He kissed Tommy on the lips. Their tongues met for a moment, but then they came out of the embrace. They made it a point to keep their intimacies behind closed doors.

Tommy sighed. "We're going to have to pray that Cas gets that Tablet soon. As much as I love everyone here, we need to get our own place again."

Barry continued to smile. "I agree. How about you get me a 'Kiss The Cook' apron for Christmas? I'll wear it when I make the first dinner in our new place. And that's ALL I'll be wearing," he said flirtatiously.

"I'll be sure to invite Cas over, then," Tommy joked. "But seriously, I already have your Christmas present, and I promise you, you're going to love it."

The men started to clear the table.

The group pulled into Glenwood several hours later. It wasn't too difficult to find the hotel. It was a very small, quaint-looking town, but as they drove down the main street, they saw a large, sprawling building on the crest of the hill.

"That's it," Jody told Frank. "The Hampton. Looks nice."

"Yeah," Frank agreed. "And not a moment too soon. As much as I love our car, I'm ready to park it for a while and get some rest." He looked at his wife. "You must be really tired, too. In fact, why don't I park out front and check us in? You just stay here and relax. The others should be right behind us. We'll get those guys to check in, and you and Gail can take it easy."

Jody looked at her husband curiously. He was always good to her, but he normally wasn't this solicitous. "OK, 'Cas'," she quipped, and Frank smiled. "Hey, I love my wife, too," he said. "Maybe I'm not as demonstrative about it as he is, but you know what? Maybe I should be. You deserve to be loved and taken care of, Jody."

She was still staring at him. That was sweet, but it was unusual for Frank to talk that way. He was probably reacting to her diagnosis. She knew how worried he'd been.

Frank went inside to check them in while Jody got out of the car to stretch her legs. A minute or two later, Sam and Dean pulled up.

"Damn it!" Dean exclaimed. "I can't believe he beat me here!"

Jody rolled her eyes. They were such boys, sometimes.

"Where is he?" Dean asked her.

Jody told them, and Sam said, "We'll go check in too, then. Cas and Gail should be here in a minute or two." He looked at Jody. "Are you OK? Are you cold?"

She almost looked behind her. She couldn't recall any of the men ever asking her that before, not even her own husband. It was great being a strong, independent woman, but occasionally, it would be nice to be asked.

"I'm fine, Sam," she said, bemused. "But, thanks."

Cas and Gail arrived a couple of minutes later. Cas parked behind the Impala and he hurried around to the passenger side as Gail was opening the door. "Please, allow me," Cas said. He pulled the door the rest of the way open and put his hand out for Gail to take, assisting her out of the car.

Jody's lips were twitching now. What had gotten into these guys, all of a sudden? Of course, Cas was pretty much like that all of the time.

Gail was wondering the same thing, though. There had been a time when he used to run around and open the car door for her every time, just like he used to stand up every time she entered a room. But she'd told him that, although she appreciated his gallantry, she didn't require it, and she didn't want him putting himself out like that. But she'd picked her battles, in a manner of speaking. He still pulled out her chair for her, opened doors for her, and jumped up to fetch her items when they went out. She didn't want to take the old-school gentleman completely out of him. It was those little gestures of his that set him apart from other men, and those gestures were endearing.

Cas went to check them in, and Jody and Gail stood there, smiling at each other.

"I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep," Jody told her sister-in-law.

"I might suggest to Cas that he and I go for a walk, believe it or not," Gail said. "The weather's nice and cool, just the way I like it, we don't sleep, and the town looks pretty."

"Hey, each to their own," Jody said, shrugging.

The men came out of the hotel. "We'll park in the underground, then go up to our rooms," Frank said to the group, and then he smiled. "As soon as we told the desk guy we had two beautiful ladies in our party, he gave us the best rooms in the place."

Gail and Jody looked at each other again, and Gail burst out laughing. "What?" Frank said, puzzled. Gail stared at him. "What, you were serious?" she asked him.

"Of course I was serious," Frank said. He put his arm around Jody and kissed her on the cheek. "Let's get you inside," he said to his wife. "You must be cold." He looked at the others. "We'll see you downstairs for breakfast in the morning," Frank told them. Then he opened the passenger side door for Jody and helped her into the car.

Dean looked at Cas. "OK now, what the hell kind of crap is that you've been teaching him?"

But Cas was doing the same thing now, with Gail. "They're called manners, Dean. You should learn about them sometime," Cas retorted. Then he drove off, leaving the brothers standing there.

Dean looked at Sam. "If you think I'm doing that for you, you're crazy."

Sam smirked. "Last time I looked, I wasn't a woman."

"Are you sure, Sammy?" Dean shot back. "Based on your haircut and your taste in music, you just might be one."

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother. "Just park the car, Dean." They got in and drove to the underground garage.

Rowena was standing on the hilltop, watching the tiny convoy pull around to the side of the hotel, where the entrance to the underground parking lot was. She'd seen the six of them get out of their cars. The men went inside, and the women waited outside. But there was no Bobby.

No Bobby? She continued to watch, incredulous. He was not with the men, and he was not sitting in any of their vehicles. She had done all of this for nothing!

A couple of days ago, Rowena had come to the sleepy little town of Glenwood, Utah, and she had started to spin her web. She had established a base here at the Hampton Hotel, and enchanted all of the employees in one fashion or another. All of the female employees suddenly fell very ill, taking to their homes and locking the doors behind them. It was likewise with all of the male employees who Rowena found to be less than attractive. Then she had put a spell on one of the managers to reduce the hotel rates so dramatically that they would get the attention of anyone who was looking to stay in the area. And then, just for fun, she had seduced him into giving her the best suite on the top floor, and she had also gotten him to hold a few other suites free for the group to come.

The bait was on the hook, but that wouldn't be enough. So she had made her way throughout the town, placing hex bags on every block in the middle of the night when no one was out in the streets. And when the townspeople had woken up this morning, their entire burg was imbued with the spell. Suddenly, all of the women and the less attractive men in town were staying inside, and only the best-looking abd most virile men were out and about. By that evening, when the God Squad rolled in, Rowena had created her own little paradise, a town full of handsome, Stepford men who would do anything for the women who stumbled into their town. And any males who happened to cross the town line would be affected by the spell, as well. She had fully expected Bobby to be with the group, and when he'd breathed in a little of the local air, she was going to show up to his room and remind him of why they used to have a relationship. She had planned to remind his brains out, actually. But now, he wasn't even here! Damn it!

Oh, well. She supposed she could amuse herself by hanging around for a bit and watching the men tripping all over themselves to cater to Gail and Jody. Were those women ever going to owe Rowena a huge Christmas gift this year. And Rowena could avail herself of the attentions of the male employees of the hotel for a couple more days. She might as well get something for all of her efforts. Then, she would either take the spell off, or she wouldn't. It could go either way.

Rowena melted into the shadows and entered the private elevator to the Penthouse. Time to call for a little room service.

Bobby was sitting in the bunker at the library table with his foot up on another chair. Barry had brought him a pillow to put under his foot, a plate of dinner, and a glass of bourbon on the rocks. Barry was going to make Tommy a fine wife one day, Bobby thought with amusement. But he didn't say that out loud, because he wasn't sure if Barry would take it the right way. The two men didn't know each other all that well. And Bobby wasn't the slightest bit prejudiced against homosexuals, but if he were to be brutally honest, he wasn't entirely comfortable around them, either. But those two were good and decent men who kept their displays of affection to a minimum, so he got along with them fine.

He had finished his dinner now, and Bobby was kibitzing with Kevin and Chuck on how the translations were going. Kevin advised that it was going slow. He'd been able to add a few more words to the concordance, and he and Chuck planned to work all night and send Sam a message in the morning. It was night now, so he would be sleeping soon, they were sure.

Chuck sat up straighter in his seat. "Hold on, Bobby, I'm getting a message from Laurel," he said.

"Hi, Chuck," Laurel said in Chuck's head. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"No, of course not," he replied. "What's up?"

"How's Bobby?" she inquired.

"He's all right, Laurel," Chuck told her.

"It's kind of weird, not being able to talk to him directly," Laurel remarked.

"I know," Chuck said affably. "It's been hard for us to get used to, too."

Then there was silence, and Chuck said, "Was there anything else, Laurel?"

"I don't know what to say, Chuck," she said hesitantly. "I didn't even know if I should bother you with this. But I just thought..."

"What, Laurel?" Chuck prompted. "What's the matter?"

"It's Patricia," she blurted out. "She's acting strange, Chuck. Ever since Lucifer was here, she hasn't been the same. I think he may have done something to her. I finally got up the courage to ask her about it, but she denied it."

"So what's the problem, then?" Chuck asked her, puzzled.

"She's just acting so weird, Chuck," Laurel reiterated. "Becky came to me earlier today, crying. She said she went into Patricia's office to give her some reports. She said they talked for a minute or two and then suddenly, Patricia just lost it. Becky said she started screaming at her and threw the files back in her face. Then she pushed Becky out of her office and slammed the door shut."

"That doesn't sound like Patricia," Chuck mused. "Do you know what she and Becky were talking about at the time? We all love Becky, but let's face it, sometimes she has a tendency to say the first thing that pops into her head."

Laurel smiled. "Oh, believe me, I'm aware. But even if she said something that bothered Patricia, that would be a big overreaction on Patricia's part. I've never known her to just fly off the handle like that."

Chuck frowned. He snuck a glance at Bobby, who was looking at him impatiently, obviously waiting to hear about their conversation. Chuck hadn't said anything out loud yet. Then he decided: "I'll tell you what, Laurel. We're kind of in the middle of a few things here, and Bobby is dealing with a bit of a medical issue at the moment."

Laurel gasped. "Is he OK, Chuck?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine, he's just in some pain right now," Chuck replied. "So I don't think we really want to bother him if we don't have to. And let's face it, Laurel. He's a human now. I don't know what he could do, anyway."

Laurel sighed. "You're probably right. I'm sorry, Chuck. I had no idea that Bobby was dealing with something of his own down there. Forget I said anything, then. Maybe Patricia just misses him. That's likely it. And Becky probably went in there, blathering on like she does, and Patricia probably just got a bit short-tempered with her. It wouldn't be the first time that Becky, shall we say, dramatized things a bit."

Chuck laughed. "That's for sure."

"How are Cas and Gail?" Laurel asked him now.

"We haven't heard from them yet, but they just left this morning," Chuck replied. "They're doing the best they can, Laurel. We all are." Now that Chuck was cured of the spell that Rowena had cast on him a while back, he'd had a lot of time to think, and to have a chat with himself. Chuck was completely back on board now. Why the hell had he ever spent so much time and energy feeling jealous of Cas, anyway? Yes, the guy was lucky enough to be married to Gail, and he was also highly regarded in Heaven. But on the flip side, the buck stopped with Cas now. He was the next best thing to God that Heaven had now, and all of the responsibility rested squarely on his shoulders. Everyone's fate depended on the success or failure of Cas's missions, and if he made bad decisions now, literally millions of lives could be lost. No way would Chuck want to be Castiel now. No way.

"I know you're all doing the best you can, Chuck," Laurel was saying. "As far as we're concerned up here, you're all heroes. I just want to let you know that we support all of you here in Heaven, and we appreciate the work that you're doing."

Chuck's heart felt warm. He couldn't remember the last time that anyone in Heaven had said anything like that to, well, any of them. Once again, he felt a pang of sympathy for Cas. The guy was working like a dog, sweating out those Tablet missions, putting his and Gail's lives on the line every day. And had any one of the Angels, besides the ones here in this bunker, ever even said a simple Thank You to him? Chuck highly doubted it. Yet if Cas was ever resentful about that, he hid it very well. Maybe if Chuck wanted to walk the walk, he should emulate Cas a bit more. Chuck seemed to recall Gail telling him once that being bad had only ever made Chuck miserable, and she had been absolutely right. And he couldn't blame it all on the spell, either. He'd been acting like a douche even before he'd been under its influence. What the hell had he been doing, creeping on Cas and Gail like that? Ewww. It was a wonder that she was even still speaking to him. And as far as the Winchester fraternity went, what was Chuck, in high school? Did he really need to belong to a clique in order to have a sense of self-worth?

"Thanks for that, Laurel," he told her now. "That means a lot to us. I'll make sure to tell everyone on the team what you said." Then he smiled. "But I'd better sign off now. Bobby looks like he's about to blow a gasket."

Now it was Laurel's turn to smile. "Give him my love, will you, Chuck?"

"Will do," Chuck said. He signed off and then told Bobby and the Angels what Laurel had said.

But he didn't mention Patricia's name.

Patricia had been stewing all day, ever since Becky had come to her office. They'd started out all right, but then the young Angel had had the nerve to ask Patricia about Lucifer.

"Did he give you a hassle?" Becky had asked her. "Isn't he horrible? When I saw him on Earth, he said all kinds of disgusting things to me."

Patricia had looked at her impassively for a moment. Was she kidding with that? Was Becky actually comparing that with what Patricia had been through?

"Oh, he gave you a 'hassle', did he?" Patricia said bitterly. "Poor little Becky. That must have been so terrible for you. So he whispered some off-colour things into those tiny, shell-like ears of yours? However could you stand it?"

Becky was confused. She could hear the sarcastic tone of Patricia's voice, but she didn't quite know what to make of it. Patricia was her boss, and there was definitely a generational gap between them. Was this maybe Patricia's way of commiserating with Becky?

"Oh, well, I had Kevin and Ethan with me, so it wasn't so bad," Becky answered casually. "Besides, I think he's all bark and no bite. Like, he's scary and everything, but he didn't actually hurt any of us. And Cas and Gail threw him out of here, so everything's OK again. They'll have all of those Tablets really soon, too, and then they'll get rid of him for good."

Patricia was livid. She'd never been so angry in her life. So Lucifer was all bark and no bite, was he? He didn't actually hurt anyone? "Well, isn't it wonderful that you had other Angels there with you?" Patricia said, her voice rising. "We wouldn't want our poor little Becky to have to face the big bad bully all alone. But it's not like he would have hurt you, or anything. It's not like he would have immobilized you, unzipped his pants, and - " She used a very colourful and earthy expression for what Lucifer had done, and it shocked Becky to the core. "Are you a virgin, Becky? Well, aren't you lucky?" Patricia said sarcastically. "You go and tell your precious Cas and Gail that it doesn't matter what they do. The damage has already been done. No, you know what? On second thought, don't bother. Just get the hell out of my office." She thrust the files back at Becky and propelled her out the door, then slammed the door and locked it.

She sat down heavily at her desk, trying to get her temper under control. Cas and Gail. Heaven's Golden Couple, fornicating their way across America, having fun with their human friends, drinking and doing Lord only knew what else. So, they were getting their Tablets. Well, wasn't that nice. She had no doubt that they would succeed, eventually. Patricia had seen first-hand how stubborn they could both be when they really wanted something.

Gail had taken the gavel at the committee meetings, and at first, Patricia had been so happy and proud that a woman was finally allowed on Heaven's board. Then Gail had invited Patricia to sit, and the older Angel had been so honoured that she hadn't been able to find the words to express her gratitude. Her position on the board had also served to elevate her in Bobby's eyes, and he had begun to seek Patricia's counsel, and then, her company. She'd liked Bobby very much. So when the revised version of Heaven's laws had been brought to the table, Patricia had voted in favour. A few of the revisions had actually made her a little uneasy at the time, but they had all been sanctioned by Bobby, and that had been good enough for Patricia. But after Bobby had asked her to be his date on Earth at Gail's brother's wedding, Patricia had begun to sour on Cas and Gail, and Bobby's human friends, as well. The Angel couple had behaved deplorably at the reception, setting a terrible example for the younger Angels who had been there. Fortunately, there hadn't been too many of them. And they hadn't even been married at the time. Now they were, but they still didn't behave decently. From everything Patricia had heard, the two of them just did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. If they felt like fornicating for hours on end, they shut off their Angel Radio. Patricia couldn't believe that Castiel could shirk his duty like that. But, then again, he was a man, and Patricia knew that men frequently thought with a different part of their anatomy, one that was located decidedly south of their brains. So arguably, that made Gail even worse. Instead of supporting Castiel and encouraging him to do the right thing by first attending to Heaven's business, Gail was obviously inflaming Castiel's libido, instead. Well, she had behaved like a little tramp at her brother's wedding and that had been in public, so Patricia could only imagine what Gail was doing to keep Castiel away from his duties in Heaven.

Patricia couldn't get over the fact that Castiel had had his radio turned off that fateful day. If only it had been on, he would have responded to Bobby's urgent call, and Lucifer would not have altered Patricia's existence for all of eternity. Not only had he brutally assaulted her, but he had humiliated and debased her, laughing about it the whole time. Patricia had no idea how long she had been in that office with him, being forced to endure everything that he was doing to her, but it had felt like a lifetime to her. And, in a way, it had been. She was a different person now. She may not be any older, but she was certainly wiser. Modernization and liberalism were not the way. Castiel and Gail had been leading Heaven into debauchery and Sin, and Bobby had allowed it. Patricia didn't necessarily think that Bobby condoned Sin, she just thought that he went too easy on his friends. But now, her Bobby had been turned into a human, so he had been taken out of the equasion. Who would stop Castiel and Gail from turning Heaven into another Sodom and Gomorrah now? When they marched back in here, having saved everyone from Lucifer, Heaven would be theirs for the taking. If Bobby was a human now, he could obviously not be God. Castiel was next in line to the Office, so he would probably just move in there, set a chair next to him behind the desk, and sit Gail in it. Then the two of them would co-rule Heaven, the King and Queen, and they would have total autonomy. Who would stand against them?

Patricia would, if she were able. She got up from the chair behind her desk and crossed over to the bookshelf in her office, selecting both volumes of Heaven's laws, ancient and modern. There must be something in there, something that she could use to ensure that they stayed out of the High Office. Hopefully, there was; otherwise, she might have to take a leaf out of Xavier's book. But she didn't want to resort to that, if she could help it. Patricia was a reasonable woman, wasn't she? She couldn't let the fact that those two had ruined her life cloud her judgement. Just because Lucifer hadn't shown her an ounce of compassion when he'd bent her over the desk and hurt her so badly, that didn't mean that Patricia should be the same way, did it?

She bent her head to read, gripping her pencil so tightly that it broke. Then she made herself relax. She could not afford to seem like a crazy woman. Not if she hoped to take on the Exalted Ones.

After Becky had talked to Laurel, she had gone back to her cubicle, shut off her computer, and gone back to her apartment for the rest of the day. She was very upset about Patricia's behaviour. The job was pointless and boring anyway, and now, she was being bullied in the workplace. Screw it; she was going home. What were they going to do, fire her?

All of her friends were on Earth, and Becky was feeling unloved and left out again. What had she ever done to make them all treat her this way? If Bobby was still God, or at least an Angel, this wouldn't be happening. Becky was sure that he would have included her. But she guessed he had no say in how things went in Heaven any more. That was really too bad. And Cas and Gail were running around at the moment, trying to deal with Lucifer, so Becky supposed she couldn't expect them to stop and worry about her, or her feelings.

She sat in her apartment, stewing about the situation. Maybe she could just pop down to the bunker, and act like she'd been invited. But she wasn't sure who would be there, and what kind of reception she would get if she did. And she highly doubted that Sam would be there, anyway, which would be her main reason for going. He would be on the road with Cas and Gail and Dean, helping to save the world.

Becky sighed. If only Lucifer had offered to make HER into a human, like he'd done with Bobby. She hadn't even known that was an option. Otherwise, when she and Kevin and Ethan had been held captive by Lucifer, she might have asked him for that. Then she could have told Lucifer she worshipped him, he would have gone up to Heaven, and Cas and Gail would have just kicked him out, anyway. It had been scary for a little while, but as far as Becky was concerned, there had been no lasting harm done. And, to her, it would have been totally worth it. She was so sick of being an Angel.

"Lucky you caught me," Nicole said to Dean. "It's morning here, and the bus is coming to pick us up and take us out to the set."

"Where are you now?" Dean asked her.

"Believe it or not, we're back in Egypt," she told him. "They wanted to do some reshoots in the desert before we break for Christmas."

"You're still coming to Cas and Gail's for Christmas, right?" Dean said anxiously.

"Yeah, sure," Nicole said casually. She was really pleased that he had asked her, though. Nicole didn't have any family left alive except for her maternal grandfather, who was back in Ontario. She wasn't very close to him, although she would probably take a few minutes to call him over the holidays. But the invitation had been a godsend, no pun intended. Christmas was a bit of a depressing time when you lived alone and had no family to spend it with.

"I miss you," Dean said suddenly, and Sam looked over at his brother with a furrowed brow. He didn't think he'd ever heard Dean say anything like that to a woman before. That was almost approaching Cas territory. Sam started to grin.

Nicole was surprised, as well. Whenever she and Dean had managed to be able to see each other in person, they had been easily affectionate with one another, picking up just where they'd left off. They had a friendship as well as an intimate relationship, and Nicole was happy about both. Dean had been very honest with her about his past. He had been a womanizer when he was younger, bedding a number of young women in cities and towns all across the U.S. He'd only had one serious relationship, but it had ended tragically, and then he'd gone back to his promiscuous ways for a while in order to bury the pain. But he was getting a little older now, and Dean had realized it would be ridiculous for him to go around chasing younger women. Soon, it would be bordering on creepy. And then, he had met Nicole. She was cute, funny, intelligent, and a little more age-appropriate. But strangely enough, one of the things that had attracted him to her most was her independence, Dean knew that he was attractive to women. He'd never had any trouble getting girls to do just about anything with him, in bed or out of it. But Nicole had a different vibe about her, one that said that even though she welcomed him in her life, she didn't really need him, and she wasn't about to sit around and pine away, waiting for him to call. Dean liked that a lot. But ever since they'd started these Tablet missions, he'd found himself thinking about her a whole lot more. What was she doing? Was she safe? Did she ever think about him?

"I'm looking forward to seeing all of you at Christmastime," Nicole said cheerfully. "The only dilemma I have is: What do you get Angels for Christmas?"

Dean smiled. "I wouldn't worry about it. They've got everything they need, Nicole. They have each other."

Sam rolled his eyes. This was too funny. He should really be recording this. "I think I'll go downstairs and buy you a trenchcoat in the gift shop," Sam said to Dean, smirking. He grabbed his key card and headed for the door.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Dean said, waving a hand in Sam's direction. "Sorry," he said to Nicole. "That was just Sammy, trying to be funny. But I'm glad he left the room. I wanted to talk to you privately."

"I told you, Dean, I'm not into sex-Skypeing," Nicole joked.

But Dean wasn't smiling. "I'm trying to be serious, here."

"Sorry, Dean. What's up?"

He frowned. "Cas thinks that things are gonna get really bad soon. The closer we get to locking Lucifer back up, the more he's going to push back. Things are about to get really dangerous, Nicole."

She said nothing. What could she say, really?

"So, I just wanted to tell you that I love you, before it's too late," Dean continued.

Nicole was floored. Of all the things she'd thought he had been about to say, that was probably the last one. The problem was, what did she want to say to him in return? Oh, crap. She wished he hadn't put her on the spot like this.

A horn honked outside the hotel. Phew. Saved by the bell. "I'm sorry, Dean, but I've got to go," Nicole said hurriedly. "The bus is here to take us to the set, and this guy does not like to be kept waiting. I'll be home in a week. We'll talk then." She shut off her computer, and the screen went dark.

Crap, Dean thought. He'd been too pushy. Hopefully, he hadn't scared her off. He'd been intending to tell her at Christmas, but he'd just felt the urge to do it now, so he'd blurted it out.

But he didn't regret it. Dean put the laptop on the bed beside him and leaned back against the pillows with a dreamy smile on his face. He genuinely did feel love for Nicole, but the town's spell was working on him now, prompting him to be a little more demonstrative about it than he normally would be. He wished she was here right now. He would put one of his socks on the doorknob outside, the prearranged signal that he and Sam had that meant that one of them had a female companion. Poor Sammy would have to bunk with Frank and Jody, or get his own room. No way he could stay with Cas and Gail, not unless he wanted to be scarred for life. Dean still had his doubts about what the two Angels did in the bedroom, and he was highly suspicious about it. Bobby had told Dean and Sam that Heaven had just suddenly burst into vibrant colours the night that Cas and Gail had spent in Rome after their wedding reception. There was no way that was just a coincidence. Dean didn't really care that much about what went on between those two as long as they were happy, and they obviously were. But Dean was thinking about Nicole now. If she was here, he would lay her down on the pillows, take her clothes off slowly, and kiss her all over. Then he would lift her hips and he would be inside her, making love to her. He would tell her that he loved her, and that he wanted her to come and live with him in the bunker. Whenever she didn't have to be on the movie set, she could be home, with him. How great it would be to wake up with her every morning, and to be able to kiss and touch her soft skin when they wished each other a good morning. He would hug her to him, kissing her on the neck, and then they would take it from there. Then, if she wanted to sleep in for a bit, he could throw on his robe and go down to the kitchen to put on some coffee. If she wanted breakfast, he could throw something together and bring it back to the bedroom, if she wanted. Anything she wanted.

Dean fell asleep, still smiling.

Sam had been rolling his eyes at Dean, but once he'd gotten down to the lobby, he'd had an overwhelming urge to call Quinn. So he took out his cell phone and placed the call.

"Is everything all right, Sam?" Quinn asked him, concerned.

"Yeah, it's fine," he told her. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

She looked curiously at the phone for a moment. OK, that was different. She liked Sam, and she was sure that he liked her, too. But that was the kind of thing that you said to someone you were having a relationship with, or had had more than one lunch with, at the very least.

"Thanks, Sam," she said noncommittally. "Where are you now?"

Sam told her. "I wish you could be here, Quinn," he remarked. "It's a beautiful hotel, and it's a quaint little town. I'm hoping we'll have some time to walk around tomorrow. I'd love to go for a stroll with you. It'd really be romantic."

Quinn almost burst out laughing. Really? What was this all about, now? Sam hadn't struck her as a fast mover, and fast movers didn't usually use terms like "stroll" and "romantic". Maybe he was just feeling the pressure of responsibility. Cas and Gail and Sam and Dean had been given a huge load to carry, Quinn knew. So she could show some understanding.

"Feel free to call me anytime you need someone to talk to, Sam," Quinn told him, and Sam smiled. She was being so sweet.

They chatted for another few minutes, and then Quinn yawned. "I'm sorry, Sam," she said. "I'm just a little tired."

He looked at his watch. "No, it's me who's sorry, Quinn. I had no idea how late it was," Sam apologized. "I'll let you go, now. But it was really nice to talk to you."

She smiled. She really did like Sam. "You too, Sam. Goodnight," Quinn said, and then she hung up the phone.

Lucifer was stretched out on his stomach on the bed, smiling contentedly. He may have been a virgin up until just recently, but he was certainly making up for it now.

He was glad he had sent this woman up to the house. Once she'd cleaned herself up and come into his bedroom, she had proved to be a very willing and eager partner. The girl clearly loved sex, and she could take anything he had to give. They had done it in many different positions, including a couple he might not even have thought of. He could go for days, and since he had nothing better to do while he was waiting for more people to roll in, they'd been pretty much going at it non-stop. At one point, he'd asked her how it felt to have him pushing himself into her like that. Did it hurt? Did she like it? Patricia had screamed when he had done it to her, and she may have been crying, too. Admittedly, he hadn't really been paying attention. That had been his first time, and it had just felt so fan-freaking-tastic that the intensity of the feeling had taken precedence over anything else. But this girl he was with now didn't scream, so much as grunt and moan, and when he'd ventured a look at her face, if he'd been in a position to do so, she'd looked pretty happy. He'd heard that some women were frigid; maybe that had been Patricia's problem.

Anyway, when he'd asked this woman how it felt, she'd told him that he should experience the feeling himself, and then he could tell her. Then she'd instructed him to lay on his stomach, and he had, because he'd been curious. After a moment, he'd felt something push into the only orifice he had back there, and he'd shouted, "Hey!"

"Take it easy," she'd told him softly. "Just give it a chance. Relax." Then she'd kept on doing what she was doing, in and out, and then it had started to feel kind of good. Then she had done it harder, and then she had reached around and grabbed him, and a minute later, he'd had a new experience.

He rolled over on his back now and looked up at her, smiling. Then it occurred to Lucifer to ask: "What's your name, honey?"

"Timma," she told him.

"That's an unusual name," he remarked.

"I'm an unusual girl," she countered.

"That was fun, but I want to do it the other way around, now," Lucifer told her. He liked to give, rather than to receive. He felt more like the Master when he was on top. But he might do that other thing occasionally too, just for something different. Maybe he'd get a man to do it to him next time, just to see what that was all about.

But for now, Lucifer was back in charge. He got up and threw her down on her stomach, then pushed into her from behind. He looked down at her. She was a real sport. She had his "REV" tattoo on the back of her neck, though, so she was obviously a fan. Maybe she was even what they called a "groupie". He'd heard about those.

Once he was done, Timma rolled out from underneath him and told him she wanted to take another shower, then maybe have something to eat.

"Sure, honey," he grinned. "I guess I've been wearing you out. I'll tell you what. I'm gonna send my chief assistant up here to bring you some nice, new clothes. Then you can sit down at my table, and we'll eat dinner together. You've been sweet to me, so it's the least I can do."

"Oh, thank you, Master!" she exclaimed, scrambling off the bed. Then she hurried into the bathroom as Lucifer sat up in bed, grinning again. He loved it when people called him that. Then he started to get dressed.

Timma ran the water for the shower, as hot as she could stand it. God, he was disgusting. Lucky she could just discard this vessel as soon as she was done with it. Maybe she'd fumigate it first, and then burn it.

It was unbelievable. Now she knew why Lucifer had the reputation that he did. He was nothing but a selfish, spoiled brat, with a huge sense of entitlement and an ego to match. "Master", indeed. Made her want to throw up.

She highly doubted that Lucifer had either of the Books, but she'd had to find out for sure. Whosoever had the Book of Death would hold sway over Life and Death itself, and if it were to be combined with the Book of Life, the resultant knowledge and power would be enough to trump every otherworldly being that had ever been, even Death, or God Himself. But if Lucifer had the Book of the Dead, he wouldn't be piddling around with ordinary Demons and human bikers, would he?

But his assistant, Mark? He might be another story. He was the last remaining accessible Gospel writer, and he could very well know something he wasn't telling Lucifer. But she'd had to appease the big dog, first. And now, Lucifer was playing right into her hands; he was sending Mark right to her. She would have to be careful, though. None of them would be able to tell who and what she truly was because she was extremely shielded, and Ammit needed to keep it that way. So for now, she was playing the role of a human girl, a simple-minded groupie of Evil who was only too happy to open her mouth and her legs for the Master, or anyone else in his camp who wanted to be serviced. In her experience, men tended to drop their guard around non-threatening females, and if the females were submissive, so much the better. So Ammit had simply reversed her ancient name and become Timma, and the rest had been a piece of cake.

She scrubbed herself from head to toe, then she stepped out of the shower and waved one hand over herself, drying her body and her hair instantly. Then she peeked out the bathroom door. Lucifer was gone. Good. She wrapped a bath towel around herself and padded into the bedroom to wait for Mark.

Wyatt was laying in bed with one of his lovers, winding his limbs around the man. Fortunately, Adrian liked affectionate sex, not the rough trade that some of Wyatt's clients preferred. When you were the bottom in the transaction, they paid their money, and you took your chances.

Out of all of Wyatt's "dates", Adrian had the most to lose. He was one of the highest-ranking Generals in the military. He'd passed for straight all his life. Because Adrian was an older man, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" hadn't been an option for him, and everyone in the community knew that slogan had just been a joke, anyway. And apparently, the President agreed, because the government had officially repealed it now. But still, there was no way that a man as high up in the military as Adrian was could ever come out. He'd been married to his high school sweetheart for decades, they had two grown kids, a son and a daughter, and their son's wife was ready to pop with Adrian's first grandkid any day now. So, even in this supposedly enlightened age, there was no way that Adrian could let it be known that he cruised the clubs in a certain area of Vegas and picked up guys to date. His particular favourites were the female impersonators, ones who were slender and effeminate. Wyatt himself could never quite understand that. If you were a man and you were gay, why would you want a guy who was more like a woman than a guy? But he supposed it took all kinds, and the fact that a lot of these guys had a "type" played right into Wyatt's hands and lined his wallet, so who was he to argue?

Adrian kissed Wyatt on the forehead. "That was fantastic, as usual," he told him. "I've got to get going back to the base in a couple of minutes. My chauffeur is coming to pick me up."

"You're going back this late at night?" Wyatt asked him, surprised. "Why?"

"Top Secret," Adrian said, smiling.

"They work you too hard," Wyatt said, kissing his chest.

"Agreed," Adrian said shortly. He closed his eyes for a moment. Wyatt was caressing him now, and Adrian was enjoying the sensation. "I wish I could see you more often, but they want me there as much as possible to oversee the project, and I think there might be a breakthrough soon. It's something that could have an impact on civilization as we know it."

Wyatt stopped kissing Adrian and he looked at him now, frowning. "That's if we even HAVE a civilization, in the near future."

Adrian smiled indulgently. "Not this, again. Who are you? Chicken Little?"

Wyatt raised himself up on one elbow. "I'm serious, Adrian. Tommy told me there's a threat to the base. He didn't come right out and say so, but I think it's terrorists. How's it going to look if something happens there, and you could have prevented it?"

"So your solution is for me to forge Top Secret credentials for four strangers, based on a request from your ex-boyfriend," Adrian said dryly. "Forget it, Wyatt. I'm only a few more years from retirement, and a lucrative pension. That would be worth my stars, my stripes, my reputation, and the rest of my life, if I got caught. Not to mention all of this, here." He gestured. "I would be outed."

"But, Adrian..."

"No buts," Adrian said. He kissed Wyatt one more time, then got out of the bed and slowly started to get dressed. "If there was a credible threat, or a really good reason to trust Tommy, I might consider it, if it were a matter of national security. But in the absence of any of that, I have to say no, Wyatt. I'm sorry. I'll call you when I'm free." He did up his pants, then reached into his pocket for his wallet. Wyatt was pouting now. Adrian thought it was kind of cute. He looked like Adrian's daughter had looked when she was a little girl, and they'd refused her request for a pony, that first time.

Adrian took an extra $500 out of his wallet and placed it gently on the nightstand. "Buy yourself something nice, on me."

Wyatt smiled automatically. Even though he was fretting inside about how he was going to tell Tommy it was probably not going to happen, Wyatt still had to live, and he knew which side his bread was buttered on. "Thank you, Adrian," he said to the man. "Come back soon, OK?"

"As soon as I can. I promise," Adrian told him.

Once the General had left his apartment, Wyatt grabbed his cell phone and called Tommy.

"He's being stubborn," Wyatt told Tommy in a frustrated tone. "He says he's not prepared to just take your word for it. You need to tell me what's going on, Tom-Tom," Wyatt continued, using his nickname for his ex-boyfriend.

Tommy sighed. Yeah, right. He was supposed to tell his drama queen ex that he was living in a secret bunker helping Angels obtain ancient Tablets that would lock up the Devil? Not likely. "I can't, Wyatt," he said earnestly. "You'll just have to trust me. If our relationship, or I, ever meant anything to you, you'll keep trying. I'm being deadly serious when I say that humanity is in danger, Wyatt."

"OK, Tommy, I believe you. I'll keep working on him, then. But I'll have to work around his schedule. He's got some kind of a big project going on that he says will revolutionize mankind, or some kind of crap like that. I wasn't really listening." Then he grinned. "Too bad you're not still an ace reporter. He might have been talking about aliens."

The journalistic instinct in Tommy made him stop for a moment. That was actually pretty intriguing. A high-ranking General from Area 51 talking about a Top Secret project they were working on that would affect all of mankind? Man, what he could have done with that back then. But those days were over now.

"Keep working on him, Wyatt. Please," Tommy said, and he hung up the phone. He sighed again, then called Cas.

Cas and Gail had gone for their walk, and now they were sitting on a park bench in the town common.

"This is a lovely little town, even at night," Cas remarked. "We will have to come here again tomorrow." He had his arms around Gail, and he gave her a squeeze. "I'm so glad Jody suggested coming here. It's time we all had a little serenity in our lives."

Gail smiled. "All that's missing is a few cages with some tigers in them."

Cas smiled, too. "Are you getting cold, my love? Do you want to go back?"

"In a minute," she said. She pulled out of the embrace to look at his face. "I want to talk to you, first."

"What is it, my darling?" Cas asked her, touching her face.

"Do you think I should try to find out about my real parents?" Gail asked him. "Or do you think I should just leave it alone?"

Cas sighed. "I appreciate your seeking my opinion, but I really don't know," he told her. "But I do know YOU, and I think you won't feel right until you do find out. You know that I will protect you against anyone, or anything, that is a threat to you. If for any reason this man is dangerous, we will deal with him together. But he is only half of the equasion. There is also your real mother to be considered. If she is still alive, you may want to get to know her. I think she would be very happy to see what a wonderful daughter she has. I know that Sam and Dean would give a great deal to have a relationship with their mother."

Gail thought about that for a moment. She could kind of see what he was talking about. Even though she was an adult woman, there was just something about the unconditional love of a mother that could be really appealing. It would be nice to hear her Mom say that she loved her, or even that she was proud of the way that Gail had turned out. Suddenly, she giggled.

"What?" Cas asked her, smiling gently.

"My mother-in-law is Eve," Gail blurted out. "A lot of times, I forget about that. My in-laws are the first two humans our Father ever created. That's funny, when you think about it."

Cas continued to smile. "I wish you could meet them. They would love you. I hope that Frank's mother is wrong. I hope your parents are loving, caring individuals. I don't see how they could be otherwise, if they made you."

"You are so sweet," Gail said, kissing him on the cheek. "You know what? I am getting a little chilly now. Let's go back to our room."

The square was deserted, so Cas winked them directly to their room. "Let me warm you up," he said to her. He started to take her clothes off, and she smiled. "How am I supposed to get warm when I have no clothes on?" she wisecracked.

"Let me be your blanket," he said.

Oh, wow, she thought. That was cheesy, even for him. But now, he was putting his arms around her and kissing her neck, and then he was touching her, and as far as she was concerned, he could say anything he wanted to, as long as he kept on doing that.

He made love to her even more ardently than usual, and a couple of hours later, she was laying on her side, facing away from him. She was getting her breath back, just laying there and relaxing. Cas was spooning her, planting soft kisses on her back and shoulders. He hadn't let go of her once since they'd arrived back at the hotel. Cas was feeling the effects of Rowena's spell just the same as the other men were, but because he was the way he was with her, Gail didn't really notice too much of a difference.

"I don't want to move," she told him contentedly. "I'm so warm and comfortable."

"You don't have to move," he said softly into her ear. "You don't have to do anything. I will do everything for you." He kissed her earlobe, then gave it a little lick, sending a thrill through her. Then he moved down her body, still kissing her, and then he licked the small of her back. That was different, she thought, smiling. Now he really had her attention. Then he put his hand between her legs, and she opened them to give him access. She could feel him enter her as he placed his hand firmly on her hip, moving her back and forth. Wow. He'd really meant it when he'd told her she didn't have to move. But as he moved slowly in and out of her, she wanted to move now, because he was going too slow.

She wiggled her hips, and he made a low sound in his throat. He began to move faster. She said his name, raising her hips, and he knew what she was looking for. He reached around and started to stroke her, and after a moment, she was crying out into the pillows. Cas felt the familiar warm rush when she did that, and he said, "I love you, my darling."

After a second, Gail said, "I want to turn around, Cas."

"Not yet," he said softly. "Not yet." He started to move his fingers again, but this time, he moved them quickly and incredibly, she was crying out again. Cas smiled. He'd had the feeling she wasn't quite done yet.

Gail was shouting out his name now, telling him how good it was, and then she started to laugh, losing her words altogether.

When she finally calmed down, he withdrew from her, and she rolled over to face him. "Cas," she breathed. "I don't know what I did to deserve all of this loving, but I'm torn between asking you to give me a rest and asking you to never, ever stop."

He smiled. "Well, I know which one I would prefer. But if you need a rest, just let me know. I just want to give you all the love you deserve, that's all."

She kissed his face softly. Now, she understood. He felt so badly about what had happened back at the house that he was overcompensating, trying to replace all the love he felt that she was owed. Her eyes prickled with tears at the thought.

"Thank you, sweetie," Gail said, kissing him again. "But, I do need a bit of a rest, now. Let's watch some TV, okay?"

"OK, as long as you promise me that I can cuddle you while we're doing that," Cas told her, kissing her face.

Now Gail was bemused. "Of course you can," she said. "I'd think that something was wrong if you didn't."

They settled down to watch TV and a few minutes later, Cas's cell phone rang.

"Hey, Cas, it's Tommy," their friend said. "I just wanted to let you know that I heard from Wyatt. But it's not good news. He hasn't been able to get his contact to budge. He says he'll keep trying, but the man is being really stubborn."

"Oh. Well. All right, then," Cas said mildly. Then he hung up the phone, turned it off, and tossed it back on the nightstand.

Gail had her back to him because they were in their usual cuddling position, so she didn't see him turn off the phone. "Who was that?" she asked curiously.

"It was Tommy, just calling to check in," Cas told her. He wrapped his arms around her again, holding her close.

"Oh," she said. "It was a pretty brief conversation," she added, bemused again.

He kissed her on the forehead, then on the cheek. "That's because I would much rather talk to you than to him," he said charmingly.

Gail smiled. "I suppose I can't fault logic like that." Oh, well. It had been kind of weird on his part, but she supposed if Tommy had nothing to say, then there was no harm done, really.

Cas was deep in the spell now, and he found he didn't really care if Tommy's friend was making progress or not. He just wanted to stay here in this bed, in this town, loving his wife. And what was wrong with that? His hand slipped under the nightshirt she had put on, and he began to caress her lightly.

"I thought we were going to watch TV," she said, smiling.

"The shows are all reruns," he countered.

"We're going to have to come up with a hobby for you," she quipped.

"Do you want me to stop?" Cas asked her, his forehead wrinkling.

"Well, I didn't say that, exactly," she said, closing her eyes. His hand had found the sweet spot again, and she couldn't help but open her legs to him. This was nuts. What had gotten into him? And, did she really care?

Cas made love to her all night, until she finally told him that she needed a rest. To emphasize her point, she gave him one more kiss, then climbed out of bed and told him she was going to take a shower. Then she went to her bag and got a full set of clothes, taking them to the bathroom. She was very happy, but she was also worn out. Could you kill a person with love and kindness?

When she came back out, Cas looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry, Gail," he said. "I chased you away, when all I was trying to do was love you the way that you deserve."

"You did, and you do," she said, smiling gently. "I'm just a little worn out, that's all. But I appreciate you so much, sweetie. I love you so much. Why don't you take your shower, and we'll go downstairs to the restaurant?" She yawned unexpectedly. "I might even have a cup of coffee this morning."

Cas showered and dressed, and they went down to the hotel restaurant. Their human friends were already there, eating breakfast. Cas pulled out a chair for Gail at the end of the table. She sat down, expecting him to pull out the chair next to her and sit down. But instead, he turned around and left the table.

As Gail stared after him, puzzled, Sam said, "Did you have a good night's rest?"

She looked at him, pursing her lips. So many things came to her mind, but she'd better not say any of them with her brother sitting right here at the table. "Sure, Sam," she finally decided on. "And you guys?"

The men all nodded, smiling at her, but Jody was frowning. Before Gail had the chance to ask her what was wrong, Cas came back to the table, carrying a full carafe of coffee. He grabbed a cup from the place setting in front of Gail and filled it for her, and then he refilled Jody's cup. He banged the carafe down on the table in front of Dean, who was lifting his cup, looking for a refill. Then Cas sat down beside Gail and put the cream in her coffee, then stirred it with a spoon. She was used to seeing this from him, so she sat patiently, waiting for him to finish. Jody was looking at them with her mouth open. Gail gave her a half-shrug.

But then, when Frank grabbed the sugar and a spoon and emulated Cas, doing the same thing with Jody's coffee, Jody threw her fork down on her plate. "I need to go to the bathroom," she announced, and then she looked at Gail. "And you're coming with me."

"She doesn't - " Cas started to protest, but Jody had already come around the table and grabbed Gail by the arm. "Oh, yes, she does," Jody said, pulling Gail to her feet.

Gail accompanied Jody to the washroom and, once Jody had checked the stalls to make sure they were alone, she wheeled on Gail. "I think I may have to kill your brother," Jody said in an exasperated tone.

Gail smiled. She knew Jody wasn't serious, of course. She leaned against the sink. "What did he do?" she asked her sister-in-law.

"He massaged my feet last night," Jody said irritably. "Then he kept me up half the night, asking me about my feelings. And you saw him, just now. I don't know how much longer I can take it, Gail. Even Sam and Dean are acting weird. When we got down here this morning, Dean pulled out my chair for me in the dining room. Dean! I keep waiting for one of them to say 'April Fools', or something. What the hell's wrong with everybody? Is Cas acting weird like that?" Then Jody smacked herself on the forehead. "Wait a minute, what am I talking about? That's how he is all the time. You probably wouldn't even notice any difference."

Gail was equal parts amused and intrigued. That was definitely not like Frank and Dean. She could just picture Frank, chasing Jody around their hotel room, trying to be affectionate. She started to laugh, then turned it into a cough because Jody was looking murderous now. But now, Gail started to think about what Jody was saying. While it was true that Cas wasn't behaving much differently than he normally did, he had been very ardent the night before, even more so than usual.

She looked at Jody. "Actually, you could have a point," she said sheepishly. "Without approaching TMI territory, let's just say that Cas was a little more...attentive than usual last night."

Jody pursed her lips in frustration. She had no idea what to think about all this. "OK, well, if Frank keeps it up, I'm going to have to punch him in the face," she told Gail. "Just so you know."

Now Gail did laugh; she just couldn't help it. How different Frank and Jody were from her and Cas. But then, her smile faded. She loved the way that Cas was, but if she had too many more nights like last night, they were going to have to scrape her off the ceiling.

When she and Jody got back to the table, all of the men suddenly stood up. Jody was frowning again. What the hell was this, now? She looked at Cas. "Did you put them up to this?"

He was smiling. "I'm glad to see that they're finally learning some manners." He went to pull Gail's chair out for her, but all of a sudden, a waiter grabbed it. "Allow me," he said, and Gail sat down, smirking at the expression on Cas's face. Once again, she couldn't help it. He looked like a little boy whose favourite toy had just been taken away.

Then the waiter hurried around the table and did the same thing for Jody, snatching her chair out of Frank's hands to help seat her. This was too funny.

"Can I get you beautiful young ladies anything?" the server asked them.

Gail and Jody smiled at each other, then at the server. He was tall and very handsome, with a nice smile.

"No thanks, just the bill will be fine," Jody said.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly charge you," the server said to her. He came around to stand behind Gail and put his hand on her shoulder, bending down to talk to her. "Or you either, pretty lady," he said. "Are you sure I can't get you something to eat? You certainly don't have to watch your weight."

Cas turned his head slowly to look at the server. "Excuse me, this is my wife you're talking to," he said primly, and Gail had to turn her head to keep from laughing out loud at his expression.

"Well then, you're a very lucky man, aren't you, Sir?" the server asked Cas. Then he walked away from the table.

"You just can't argue with logic like that," Gail said to Cas, still trying not to crack up.

Frank rose from his chair, taking out his wallet. "Let's go, before he comes back," he said, throwing some money down on the table. "I don't like the way that guy is looking at you," he said to Jody.

"I thought he said there was no charge," Jody said.

"Yeah. For the ladies," Dean groused. "When you two 'beautiful girls' were in the washroom, Romeo there gave the bill to us guys."

"So? Pay it!" Jody told him.

"Be glad to," Sam said. He threw down some money on top of Frank's.

They left the hotel and went for a walk down the hill towards the main drag of the town. It was a brilliant, sunny day, with just a hint of a chill in the air.

"Miss! Miss!" A man's voice, from behind them. They turned around to see a guy running up to them with a bouquet of flowers in his arms. He thrust them towards Jody. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady," he said to her.

"Hey!" Frank exclaimed. "I'm her husband, and I'm standing right here!"

"Well, maybe if you'd thought to give me flowers first, this wouldn't be happening," Jody quipped, taking the flowers with a smile.

"I'm wondering if I should feel insulted right around now," Gail said, grinning.

The man looked at her for a moment, then said, "Oh, I'm so sorry, but I don't have any more flowers for you. May I take you to lunch instead, to make up for my terrible rudeness?" he asked Gail.

"No, you may not," Cas bristled. "She's my wife. Now, buzz off."

"I believe it was me he asked to lunch," Gail joked, but when Cas started to open his blazer, reaching for his blade, she looked at the stranger and said, "Please, just go." Luckily, he did.

"'Buzz off'?" Sam said to Cas, grinning. "I don't think I've ever heard you use an expression like that before."

Gail and Jody exchanged glances again, smiling at each other. But as they all proceeded into the downtown area, it started to get less and less funny. All the people that they saw on their walk were men, and they were all fawning over Gail and Jody as if they'd never seen a woman before. Cas and Frank were becoming angrier and angrier as man after handsome man accosted their wives.

"OK, the next guy that comes up to you, the weapons are coming out," Frank fumed. "Right, Cas?"

"Right," Cas said grimly.

"Wrong!" Gail exclaimed. "You can't seriously be talking about attacking those guys!"

"Yeah," Jody agreed. "We know it's getting ridiculous, but so would that be."

Rowena was watching them from her magic mirror, and she was laughing delightedly. Even though she had been unsuccessful in her goal to seduce Bobby, she had to admit that this was one hell of a consolation prize.

As the couples stood there arguing, Cas's cell phone rang. He went into his pocket and whipped it out. "What?" he said angrily into the phone.

"Cas, it's Tommy. What's the matter?"

"We're in the middle of something here, Tommy," Cas said to their friend. He moved to hang up the phone, but Gail grabbed it out of his hand.

"Sorry, Tommy, it's Gail here," she said into the phone.

"What's the matter with Cas?" he asked her. "He sounds angry."

"I'm sorry," she said again. The others were still arguing, so she moved away from the group so she could hear him better. "We're kind of having a thing, here. Anyway, what's up, Tommy?"

He told her what he had said to Cas the night before. "I don't have anything to add, but he just hung up so abruptly last night that I thought I'd wait until today and then try again. Barry said I might have been interrupting something last night," he said, smiling.

Gail rolled her eyes. If he only knew. Still, the humour was rapidly fading from the situation now. If Cas was ignoring calls from Tommy, who was their conduit to get to the final Tablet, then they definitely had a problem.

"Hang on, Tommy, we'll call you back," she said, pushing End Call. The poor guy. They really would have to stop doing that to him.

But she was mad now. "Tommy says you hung up on him last night, and you were just about to do it again, weren't you?" Gail said to Cas, shaking his phone at him. "What's going on with you?" She looked at the other men. "What's going on with ALL of you? You're all acting like you're under some kind of a spe-"

Her mouth snapped shut. Of course. Gail stepped over to where Sam and Dean stood. She got up on her tiptoes and gave the men the push, and then she did the same thing to Frank, before he had the chance to react.

"I sent them back to the hotel," she said to Jody. "We've got to get out of Dodge. The whole town's under a spell."

Jody swore, using a very unladylike phrase. She didn't even question what Gail was saying, because such were their lives.

"I'm going to give you the push to the hotel now, too," Gail said to her sister-in-law. "Can you handle those three until I get there?"

Jody nodded. "Leave it to me. But, aren't you coming?"

"In a minute," Gail replied. She pushed Jody to the hotel, and then she tuned to face Cas.

"I'm going to need you to concentrate now, sweetie," Gail said to him. "There's something fishy going on here. Someone's trying to distract you from our mission. It's kind of a weird approach, but regardless, I need you to help me get the others out of town. Then I can babysit you guys, while Jody comes back here to get our cars. I think once we get you out of the town limits, everyone should revert back to normal."

"What are you talking about, Gail?" Cas asked her, puzzled. "I don't want to leave this town. It's beautiful here."

Gail smiled wryly. "Yeah. It's a little too beautiful."

He put his arms around her. "But, I wanted to take you down to our bench again," Cas said softly. "It was so romantic. If you're worried about those other men, please don't be. I will behead the next man who approaches you."

Oh, God. He really would, too. "No, you won't," she told him. She hoped her strategy would work. "I don't want you to." She waited for his reaction.

"I understand that, my love. But I have to defend you," he argued.

She let out a frustrated breath. Time to pull out the big guns. "I forbid it," she told him sternly. "Do I have to remind you that you took a sacred vow to be obedient to me?"

Cas appeared to think about that for a moment, and then he looked down at his feet, chastened. "You're right, Gail, I did," he agreed, and then he looked at her. "Can I just maim him, then?"

Oh, God. She was going to start laughing, and when she did, she would lose any supposed authority she had over him. "No," she said shortly. "Now put that away and come back with me to the hotel. I want to leave town immediately. I want to get away from all these men."

That got his attention. He grabbed her hand and winked her back to the hotel. Minutes later, they all headed out of town, as Rowena pouted. Oh, well. You couldn't win them all.


	6. Of Gods And Monsters

Chapter 6 - Of Gods And Monsters

"I'm very sorry, Tommy," Cas was saying.

Tommy smiled at Barry. He had the phone on Speaker on the kitchen table, so they could both hear. "It's OK, Cas," Tommy replied. "Gail apologized to me, too. As long as you guys are OK, that's the main thing."

"We are now, thanks to Gail and her quick thinking," Cas said. He had his phone on Speaker too, and he threw her a warm glance.

The six of them had moved on down the road towards Nevada, and they were now staying in a town called Enoch. Gail had decided on the place because of the name; she'd said it had to be a good omen. Now that they had escaped Rowena's spell, everyone was back to normal. And, since no harm had been done, she and Jody were now finding the incident amusing.

"Frank, I need a foot rub," Jody had pretended to whine when they arrived in Cas and Gail's room.

"Then ask Cas for one," he'd retorted.

"I see you two are back to the sickeningly sweet couple we're all used to seeing," Gail quipped. "Are there any feelings you'd like to share with us, Frank?"

"I can go get my Angel blade right now, you know," he said darkly, and Jody and Gail laughed.

Sam and Dean would normally have jumped at the chance to ridicule Frank too, but they were strangely subdued. Perhaps both of them didn't want to be questioned more closely about their conversations with Quinn and Nicole. They had foolishly brought up the subject that morning over breakfast, and if they taunted Frank now, the brothers knew he could probably mount a pretty effective counter-attack.

Cas was back in serious Angel mode now as he talked to Tommy. If he was at all embarrassed at the way that he himself had behaved, he didn't show it. But, as had been pointed out, his behaviour really hadn't been all that different from normal, just a bit more intense. Thank goodness Gail had gotten him out of there in time, though, before he'd had the opportunity to commit violence. It was a complete mystery to Castiel as to why the spell had been cast there in the first place. Surely, if that had been Lucifer's doing, there would have been a lot more lethal of an obstacle than a love spell. Besides, Lucifer did not cast spells, per se. That had had Witch written all over it. It was strange, too. They had just recently spoken with Crowley about Rowena, and now, it would seem that she was letting her presence be known. But why? What had been the point of it?

In the meantime, though, it was time to get back on track. Cas was frustrated by what Tommy was telling him. "Are you saying that this General will not even consider issuing us the credentials that we need?" he asked Tommy.

Their friend sighed. "Apparently not," he told Cas. "Wyatt says he'll continue working on him, but I've gotta say, Cas, it doesn't look good. If Wyatt can't get him to give in, nobody can." Barry looked at him sharply. "Sorry, hon," Tommy said to his boyfriend.

"Well, we'll carry on, anyway," Cas insisted. "We can't just keep driving around. We need to take some action." He paused for a moment, trying to calm himself down. "What is Wyatt's address? Maybe I'll pop over to see him."

Tommy thought about that. Well, what the hell. Why not? Cas was an Angel, and he was also just about the most perfect specimen of a man that Tommy had ever seen. If anybody could make inroads with Wyatt and the people he ran with, it would be Cas. Tommy asked his Angel friend to take the phone off Speaker, and Cas complied. "OK, Cas," he said, "but I think we should talk about that, first. Can you come over here for a few minutes? I don't want the others to hear what I need to tell you about Wyatt."

Cas's brow wrinkled, but he said, "All right, Tommy. Gail and I will be there in a moment."

"No, Cas. I meant for you to come by yourself," Tommy said, a little uncomfortably. Barry was staring at him. His boyfriend's expression was unreadable, but Tommy was on alert now. Wyatt was a touchy subject for Barry, and Gail was Barry's friend.

Now Cas was really puzzled. Why would Tommy be asking him to come alone? Well, he couldn't worry about that right now. He could always fill Gail in later. There had to be a reason that their friend was being so secretive.

"I'll be there in a moment, then," Cas said. He hung up the phone, turning to Gail and the others. "Tommy wishes to talk to me about this man Wyatt, and he asked me to come alone. Perhaps there is something confidential he needs to tell me about him." Cas looked at his wife. "He didn't even want me to bring you, for some reason."

Gail was a little puzzled by that too, but she shrugged. "OK, Cas. I'll just stay here, then. No biggie."

"You can come to our room and watch a movie with us, if you want," Frank offered.

Gail looked at Dean and Sam. "What about you guys?" she asked them.

Dean was smirking. "The kind of movies I'd be watching aren't suitable for Angels."

"Ewww," Gail said. "No more details will be required. I'll, uh, leave you to it, then."

Dean got up and headed for the door, and Sam leaned down and said in Gail's ear, "Bet you a million bucks he wants to watch a chick flick." Gail laughed.

Once the Winchesters left, Cas said, "I'll come to Frank and Jody's room after I'm done, then." He kissed Gail on the forehead and winked out.

Cas reappeared in the library area of the bunker. Tommy and Barry were sitting there waiting for him. The instant that Cas showed up, Riley rose from the couch to come and greet him, but Tommy put up his hand.

"Sorry, Riley, but Barry and I need to talk to Cas in the kitchen, and we don't want any company," Tommy said bluntly.

Riley stopped short, looking at the men. He looked so crestfallen that Cas looked at the young Angel with sympathy. "I'll come and visit with you for a moment, after we have our conversation," he told Riley, who said, "Oh. OK." Then he went back to the couch, where he had been sitting and reading one of the books on supernatural creatures he had selected from the library shelves. If Riley hoped to help Castiel and his human friends deal with monsters, he thought he should study up on the lore as much as he could. Kevin was still working on the Tablet translations and Chuck was helping him, but since Riley knew absolutely nothing about the ancient language, he'd wanted to find another way he could be of service.

Cas walked down the hall with Barry and Tommy, and they all sat around the kitchen table. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Tommy began to speak. He told Cas all about his past relationship with Wyatt, Tommy's and Barry's first meeting, his and Wyatt's breakup, and Wyatt's suicide attempt.

"I didn't really take it very seriously, though," Tommy told Cas. "Wyatt is a bit of a drama queen. I was pretty sure he did it just to get attention. But Barry and I were a couple then, and I just didn't want to go there."

"Go where?" Cas asked, puzzled. Then it dawned on him. Tommy was using slang.

Tommy and Barry smiled at each other. It was a good thing that Cas had amused them, actually, because Barry's expression had softened a bit now.

"Wyatt has always been a sore spot between us," Barry told Cas. "Tommy went to see him in Vegas after the suicide attempt to see if he was all right, but he only confessed that to me after the fact. I accused him of having gone to bed with Wyatt then, and we had a huge fight."

Cas was looking back and forth at his two friends. "I am unclear as to why you are telling me all of this," he said.

Tommy sighed. "I guess I just wanted to give you some background; in case you do go to see Wyatt, I wanted you to know what to expect." Another uncomfortable silence. Then: "He'll try to seduce you, Cas."

Cas looked blankly at him. "What? Why?" he finally asked his friend.

Barry and Tommy smiled at each other again. "Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Barry teased Cas gently.

But Cas was still confused. "I know we like to joke around, but..." He searched for the correct words, so as not to offend his friends. "I'm not...I'm married," he finished, somewhat lamely.

Tommy was shaking his head. "We appreciate your sensitivity, Cas, but what you're trying so hard not to say is that you're also as straight as the day is long. We know that, Cas. It's not offensive to say that, you know. We just like to tease you, because we're your friends. But, Wyatt? Not only will he not care, he'll look on it as a challenge."

Cas thought about that for a moment. "I'll just bring Gail, then," he said brightly.

Tommy and Barry exchanged another glance, communicating non-verbally with each other. Then Barry sighed, giving Tommy a brief nod of encouragement.

"I don't think you should, Cas," Tommy said quietly. "That won't be the way to get Wyatt to try harder for you."

Cas sat back in his chair, looking at Tommy warily. "Oh? Then, what would be a good way?"

"Give him what he wants," Tommy replied, holding eye contact with Cas.

Cas's eyebrows shot up. "Surely you're not suggesting...?"

Barry laughed nervously. "Of course he's not suggesting that." He looked at his boyfriend. "You're not, are you?"

"No. Well, not per se," Tommy said slowly. "But sometimes, if you want to catch a particular type of fish, you have to use a specific kind of bait."

"Talk plain," Cas said irritably.

Tommy sighed. "Let him flirt with you a bit. Maybe give him the impression that something could happen between you in the future, if he can help you out now. Wyatt's the type of guy who always wants to know what's in it for him. If he thinks you might be the prize at the bottom of the cereal box, he'll try a lot harder to get you what you need."

Cas looked thoughtful. Then he said, "Why would you have been with someone like that, Tommy?"

His friend shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Because I wasn't always a quality individual myself, Cas," Tommy replied in a subdued tone. "Because, there was a time when I was all about the physical gratification, and that's ALL I was about. And, whatever else you can say about Wyatt, there was a lot of that with him."

"OK, that's it. I'm done," Barry said. He stood abruptly and left the room.

Tommy frowned. "I guess I'll have some serious sucking up to do after this," he told Cas. "It bothers him when I say things like that."

"That is understandable," Cas said. "I can't imagine what it would feel like to have to sit there and listen to my loved one talking about having an intimate physical relationship with another."

"That's right. I keep forgetting that you must be the only adult male alive who had no sexual experience going into your relationship with Gail," Tommy remarked with a faint smile.

Now Cas was the one to frown. "Well, be that as it may, I think you need to stop saying things like that around Barry. I'm sure he finds them very hurtful."

Tommy sighed. Cas was right. He would have to seek Barry out and apologize to him after they were done here.

Now Cas was thinking about what Tommy had been saying. There was no way that he was going to allow this Wyatt to take any liberties with him, any more than he would have allowed a woman to seduce him. Infidelity was infidelity, and it was something that was completely off the table. Regardless of the circumstances, or the sexes of the people involved. But on the other hand, he had played some unsavoury roles in their Tablet quests when they had suited his purposes, and at least there would be no violence involved this time.

"All right, Tommy. I think I know how to approach this," Cas told his friend, nodding slowly. "Please give me his address and verify that he's home, but do not tell him that I'm coming."

Wyatt hung up from talking to Tommy, then poured himself a glass of wine. He was just bringing it out to the living room when there was a knock on the door.

He opened the door and was surprised to see a tall, extremely handsome man standing there.

"May I come in and talk to you for a minute?" Cas said.

Wyatt's mouth fell open. Was it Christmas already? Who was this man? Did he even care?

"I'm a friend of Tommy's," Cas went on. "I was hoping to speak to you about a couple of things."

One of Wyatt's eyebrows went up. He could think of a couple of things this guy could do for him, and to him. And speaking would be entirely optional. "Then by all means, come in," Wyatt said, smiling slowly.

Cas entered the apartment and closed the door behind him as Wyatt gestured with his glass of wine. "Would you like a drink?"

"That would be lovely," Cas said softly.

Wyatt thrust his glass of wine into Cas's hand. "Here," Wyatt said, somewhat awkwardly. He waved his hand. "Have a seat in the living room, and I'll be right there."

As Cas went to the living room holding the glass of wine, Wyatt rushed into the kitchen and got himself another. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to compose himself. Wyatt had had good-looking men in his apartment before, but there was just something about this guy that had gotten him all flustered.

When he got back to the living room, Wyatt sat beside Cas on the couch. They had a drink, and then Wyatt said softly, "What can I do for you?"

Cas grinned. "Probably a few things, but right now, I just need to talk to you about that one thing. The big one."

Wyatt put his glass down with trembling hands. When Cas had smiled at him that way and said what he'd said, Wyatt had just about slid right off the couch. "And what would that be?" he asked.

"The credentials to the base, of course," Cas replied calmly. "I'm one of the individuals who needs to get into Area 51. I need to get in there very badly, Wyatt."

Wyatt picked up his glass of wine and took a deep gulp, and then he put it back down. He slid a little closer to Cas on the couch. "HOW badly?"

"Very," Cas said, staring at him.

Wyatt put his hand on Cas's thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. This man was very lean, but his thigh was hard and muscular. Wyatt's eyes roved up and down, assessing the rest of Cas's physique. If the thigh he was feeling was any indication of what else might be under this guy's clothes, Wyatt really needed to get to know him better.

"My name is Cas," the Angel told Wyatt. He was very aware of the hand on his thigh, but he wouldn't object for now. It would be removed in a moment anyway, one way or the other. "Myself and two other men, plus a female, we need to get into Area 51. There's an object in there that we need to obtain. I can assure you that we pose no threat to national security, nor will we harm anyone. We simply need to obtain that one item. But, its acquisition is paramount to the continued survival of the human race.

"Wow," Wyatt said, moving his hand a little higher. "Tommy said that it was important, but I had no idea." He leaned in closer to peer at Cas's face, and then he spoke into his ear. "Then maybe you'd be willing to talk about an arrangement that would be mutually satisfying."

Cas could feel Wyatt's breath in his ear, and his hand squeezed Cas's thigh again. If he got any bolder, Cas was going to have to object, and then his visit here would be rendered pointless. Maybe it was pointless, anyway.

Just as Wyatt's lips grazed Cas's ear, there was another knock at the door. Cas breathed a sigh of relief. Finally.

Wyatt was pissed off. Of all the times for someone to be knocking on his door. Maybe he should just yell at them to go away. But he just sighed, rising from the couch. "Excuse me," he said to Cas, moving to answer the door.

Incredibly, when Wyatt yanked open the door, another man stood there who was also tall, and very handsome. Wyatt nearly pinched himself. This was like a lot of dreams he'd had, the ones that had you waking up smiling. "And who might you be?" he said happily.

Dean strode past him into the apartment, without waiting for an invitation. "Cas?" he called out. "Cas!"

"I'm in here," came the reply from the living room.

Crap, Wyatt thought, trailing behind Dean. Cas had a boyfriend. Well, of course he did. Just look at him. Not that that'd ever stopped Wyatt before. Of course, the boyfriend wasn't usually present at the time. Well, except for a couple of very special occasions. Wyatt stood there looking at these two men, who were looking at each other. Boy, would that ever be a special occasion. He could picture himself being the very happy middle of that delicious sandwich.

Cas stood from the couch. "This is my...special friend, Dean." He introduced Wyatt to Dean, and the men shook hands. Then Dean moved over to sit beside Cas on the couch. Wyatt reluctantly took the armchair beside them.

"What do you mean by 'special friend'?" Wyatt asked curiously.

Cas smiled. "You may have noticed I'm wearing a wedding ring. I'm married, Wyatt. To a woman. It's just that she can't fulfill all of the needs that I have. I'm sure you know what I mean."

Boy, did Wyatt ever.

Cas took Dean's hand and put it on his thigh, where Wyatt's hand had been a moment before. "And I like to think that I am able to fulfill some of Dean's needs, in return," Cas continued, smiling at Dean.

"You do, Cas," Dean replied, trying to keep himself from laughing. "You really do." When Cas had first proposed this idea, Dean had thought he was nuts. But Wyatt seemed to be eating it up with a spoon.

The look on Wyatt's face was priceless now. He was staring at them, open-mouthed, a half-smile on his lips. Oh, the hook was in, all right.

When Cas had come back to Enoch, telling them all what Tommy had said and what Cas had in mind, there had been a bit of a debate. At first, Cas had been thinking about pretending to be single and therefore, theoretically available. But Tommy had intimated that Wyatt would find Cas more desirable if he was "taken". And the instant Cas had looked at Gail's face, he realized he couldn't bear to deny being her husband, even as part of a ruse. It would also have necessitated him taking off his wedding ring, and he was unwilling to do that, either.

So then it was decided that Cas could still be married to Gail, but he'd have a boyfriend on the side. This was the scenario that would probably appeal to Wyatt the most, because he would enjoy the challenge of trying to get Cas to cheat on both partners simultaneously. The only thing that remained to be decided was which member of their group would portray his boyfriend.

"I'll do it," Sam said, grinning. "I'm secure in my heterosexuality."

"What, and I'm not?" Dean objected. "I think it should be me. I've known him the longest."

"He's my brother-in-law," Frank chipped in. "I'll do it."

"You?" Dean scoffed. "You won't be able to keep a straight face."

"Well then, I'd be ideal, if even my face can't be straight," Frank quipped.

"See, that? Right there?" Dean argued. "That's what I'm talking about. No, I'll do it."

Gail had been looking back and forth from man to man during this exchange, highly amused. "You do realize what you guys are arguing over, right?" she said.

They all looked at her with sheepish grins. Then she looked at Cas, who had a small smile on his face. "And, you? You're looking a little too pleased with yourself right now," she told him. "You'd better make sure to give me a really good kiss before you and Dean leave," she continued, teasing him.

Cas gave her a double-take, and then he smiled. "You're being funny, but that's why I thought it would be a good idea to bring one of our friends. I don't want this man taking any liberties with me."

She took his hand. "Neither do I," she said wryly.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he behaves himself," Dean said, then he smirked. "Wyatt, too."

So here they were in Wyatt's apartment, and Cas was looking gratefully at Dean. They had arranged for Dean to knock on the door a few minutes after Wyatt had let Cas in, and Cas was very glad that Dean had arrived when he had.

"I know that you have been trying to obtain those credentials for us, but we need you to step up your game, as I believe the expression goes," Cas said to Wyatt. "I know that Tommy has told you how urgent the situation is, and he's not exaggerating."

"But he hasn't given me any details," Wyatt said, pouting slightly.

"We're not at liberty to give any details," Cas said evasively.

Wyatt laughed shortly. "You're not exactly helping, Cas. Try convincing a five-star General to give you unauthorized Top Secret credentials based on your ex-boyfriend's word that it's really, really important. It isn't that easy. I mean, I'm good, but..." He trailed off, looking at Dean, who had taken his hand off of Cas's leg and was sitting there uncomfortably now, saying nothing.

"What's the matter, Dean?" Wyatt asked him. "You don't look very comfortable."

Dean wasn't sure what he should say here, exactly. He glanced at Cas. "Maybe I don't like the way you're looking at Cas," Dean said to Wyatt. It was actually true. The guy was looking at Cas like he was starving, and Cas was a plateful of gooey cheeseburgers. If Gail was here, she would be flipping out. Oh, who was he kidding? If Gail was here, she would have smacked Wyatt into next week by now.

Wyatt shrugged. "You're both very handsome, and I'm only human. And what you're asking would be impossible for someone who's less skilled than I am. Maybe I'm just looking for a little extra motivation to get the job done. But I don't know what you're so bothered about, Dean. It doesn't even look like you and Cas are that close. You're not even touching each other."

"We keep our activities private," Dean said rather primly, and Cas had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Thank God Sam hadn't been here to hear that, or Frank. They would have been done for.

Wyatt was eyeing Dean warily now. "Is that so? Or, are you two just making the whole thing up, because my Tommy knows me just a little too well?" He began to frown. "If you guys are just here to play me, maybe we should just forget the whole thing."

Cas looked at Dean, distressed. They couldn't have Wyatt quitting on them now. At the moment, he was their only chance. Dean sighed, giving Cas a slight nod. Man, the things they had to do for those damn Tablets. If the stakes weren't so high, there was no way he would even consider this.

Cas put his arms around Dean and kissed him on the lips. Dean let him, but he pulled away after a moment. "Your stubble is scratching me," he said to Cas irritably. "You'd better shave, before you come near me again."

"If I wanted to be nagged, I'd go home to my wife," Cas retorted. He looked at Wyatt. "You see how he talks to me? It's a good thing he's pretty." Cas looked at Dean again, affecting an offended expression. "Maybe Wyatt doesn't mind a little stubble."

Now Wyatt thought he understood what was going on here. Cas and Dean had been together long enough that Dean was taking Cas for granted, and Cas's wife was obviously a ball-buster. Maybe Cas was looking for a new playmate.

"No, I don't mind stubble at all," Wyatt said flirtatiously. "It's very manly. A little beard-burn can be a reminder of a great evening."

"Then maybe I'll come alone next time, and we can talk about it some more," Cas said, smiling at Wyatt. "But I'm going to need those credentials, Wyatt. When you have them, give Tommy a call, and then I'll come back."

Dean grabbed Cas's arm. "Let's go, Romeo. The last I looked, you were still with me." He led Cas to the front door of Wyatt's apartment. Cas looked back over his shoulder, giving Wyatt a wink. That should do it, Cas thought. Then Dean hustled him into the hallway.

Wyatt had gotten up when the men were moving towards the door, but now he sank down into the chair again, biting his lip. Woof. That wink alone had practically undone Wyatt's pants, right then and there. Man, he couldn't think of one place on his body where he wouldn't want to feel that stubble.

He grabbed his cell phone and hit the speed dial for Adrian's number. It was time to get this done.

Gail didn't know whether to laugh, or to be mad. She guessed it was mainly funny, but if that had been a woman who had been so blatantly and aggressively flirting with her husband, she might have had to just pop over there and throw that glass of wine right in her face. Maybe she should do that, anyway, just on general principles.

Predictably enough, Sam and Frank were in hysterics. "So, Cas actually kissed you?" Sam asked his brother, sputtering with laughter.

"How do his lips feel?" Frank teased, poking Dean in the ribs.

"Soft," Dean and Gail said simultaneously, sending Sam and Frank into another wave of laughter.

Gail looked at Dean. "Should I be worried about you too, now?" she said, smirking.

Dean threw up his hands in frustration. "You're welcome," he said sarcastically. "Next time, YOU go, then. Maybe you can pretend to be a man in drag, or something. Or maybe, you can just go as you, if Cas needs Wyatt's sympathy. The guy thinks you're a real battleaxe, anyway."

Her eyebrows raised. "Really?" She looked at Cas. "And whatever would have given him that idea?"

Cas looked at Dean, frowning, but Dean was smirking now. "Sorry, Cas, but if I'm going down, you're coming with me."

"That's what Wyatt said," Sam wisecracked, and Frank high-fived him smartly.

"I'm going to the bar downstairs to get a drink," Dean announced. "And if you two chuckleheads are still laughing when I'm finished my first one, I'm going out to the car, and the weapons are gonna come out."

Meanwhile, Gail was still looking at Cas. "So, I'm a real battleaxe, am I?" she said to him. "Well, if you'd rather be married to Dean, that could be arranged, you know." She sat back in her chair, arms folded in front of her. "You haven't even told me who the better kisser is," she continued, her mouth twitching now. "And I'd answer very carefully, if I were you."

"Oh, YOU are, absolutely," Cas answered, smiling. "Dean's lips are much too thin."

Frank and Sam were practically on the floor now. "Stop it, Cas, you're killing us," Frank roared.

"I was gonna tell you to shut up, but if that's the case, keep on going," Dean said, glaring at the men. He looked at Cas and Gail, opening his mouth, and then he shut it again. He rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. "Maybe I'll just go Skype Nicole," Dean said, shaking his head.

"A classic case of overcompensating," Frank wisecracked.

"No, that's understandable," Sam said, still grinning. "You'd rather she hears it from you, first. Very noble."

Dean stalked out of the room, and a few minutes later, Jody grabbed Sam and Dean by their arms. "Come on, you two. We're gonna go find Dean, and you're going to tell him that the comedy factory is closed. Then you're going to buy him a round, each."

Sam looked at Cas. "What about you two?"

Cas waved him off. "You go ahead, Sam. We may see you later, or we may see you in the morning." He smiled at Gail. "Probably in the morning. I'm sure I'll have a fair amount of atoning to do tonight."

Gail rolled her eyes. What was it about her husband? He could get away with a lot, just because he was so charming.

"We're sorry, Cas," Frank said to his brother-in-law. "That was just too funny."

Cas was still smiling. "That's all right, Frank. I can understand your amusement. I'll see you in the morning, unless your sister kicks me out tonight."

"And apparently, I'm a terrible shrew of a woman, so I just might," Gail said coolly.

"Come on, chuckleheads," Jody said, pulling the men to the door. "Let's leave these two in peace. Cas has some groveling to do."

Once everyone had gone, Cas looked at Gail. "You're not really angry with me, are you?" he asked her hopefully.

"That depends: Do you think I have a reason to be?" she countered.

Cas looked down at the table and sighed. "Probably," he confessed. "He touched my leg, and I let him."

"He touched your leg?" she echoed. "Where?"

"We were sitting on the couch in his apartment," he answered with a light smile.

"Very funny," Gail said, making a face. "Where on your leg?"

He winced inwardly. "Mid-thigh." In the interests of self-preservation, he didn't see the need to tell her that that had only been the starting point. Castiel was a very intelligent Angel.

Gail frowned. "And?" she prompted.

Cas looked up. "And, what?"

"And, what else did he do?" she asked her husband.

"Nothing else," he said quickly. "That was when Dean got there."

Her eyebrows raised again. "Oh. So if Dean hadn't gotten there when he did, there would have been more?" she inquired.

"No, of course not!" Cas exclaimed. "You should know I would never - " He stopped himself, sighing again. Who was he kidding? "I'm sorry, Gail," he said, looking her in the eyes. "I'm being a hypocrite. If you told me that another man had touched you in that manner, I would be popping over there with my blade right now."

Then, somewhat surprisingly, Gail smiled. "Thank you! That's what I wanted to hear." She got up and went to him, sitting in his lap. He wound his arms around her waist. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?" Cas asked her softly.

"I'm considering it," she said, tilting her head to the side and looking into his eyes.

"Is there anything I can say or do to tip the scales in my favour?" he asked charmingly.

Oh, he was good. His hands had slipped under her top now, and he was lightly caressing her. "Maybe if you can confirm to me that I'm a better kisser than Dean, I won't make you stay with him tonight," Gail said teasingly.

"I can absolutely do that," Cas said, smiling. He kissed her on the mouth, opening her lips with his tongue. She made her tongue dance with his for a minute, and then she broke the kiss, looking into his eyes again.

"You know, there's one other, very compelling argument that you could make," she quipped.

"Well then, please allow me to make it," Cas said smoothly. He scooped her up and brought her over to the bed, laying her down gently. "You are the only one I have ever been intimate with, and the only one with whom I will ever be so," Cas told her, his expression serious now. "You have my word. I made the sacred vows to you, and I do not take those lightly."

"I know, sweetie," she said, touching his face with both of her hands. "I know." Then she smiled. "But I'm hoping you'll make your case, anyway."

He laughed softly. "Gladly." He started to take off her clothes, kissing the areas of her skin as he uncovered them.

"I love you, Gail," he murmured, nuzzling her neck with his cheek.

She was holding his head lightly. "I love you too, Cas," she said into his ear. Her lips grazed his earlobe, and he smiled. These were the only lips he he ever wanted on him, or even near him.

He knelt above her and took off his own clothes, then he lowered himself onto her body. She reached down and took him in her hand, and he made a low sound in his throat. Then she guided him into her, and they began to move together.

"I love you so much," Cas said. He wound his arms around her and pulled her close to him, pushing harder into her. "There's only you. Please, say it."

She knew what he was looking for. "There's only you too, Cas. You're everything to me," Gail responded. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him tightly. He kept pushing forward, and she began to make her sounds. She kissed and licked his ear, telling him she loved him. He turned her face towards his and kissed her with his tongue. He whimpered once, and then he was still.

They lay there for a moment as Cas caught his breath. Then he looked at her and smiled. "And now, for my closing statement..." He moved down her body and made love to her with his tongue, and she grabbed his head with both hands, holding him where she needed him. "Cas!" she cried out. "It's so good! You're so good to me!"

"You are my wife," he murmured. "I place you above all else." Then he resumed what he was doing, and she called out his name again, calling him her husband, and vowing the same.

Then she was still, but Cas had gotten so excited by her reaction and by what they'd said to each other that he needed her again. He raised his body up and pushed into her, looking at her face. She gave a little gasp, but her eyes were shining and she was smiling. She caressed his chest and shoulders as he continued to look down at her, smiling. She tried to pull him down on top of her so she could embrace him, but he shook his head. He wanted to continue looking at her. She ran her hands up and down his arms and then put them on his hips, caressing him there. She thought that next time, she would kiss and lick his hip bones, as he did to her sometimes. She wanted to reciprocate, however she could. She knew how fantastic it made her feel whenever he made love to her whole body with his mouth and his tongue.

Cas was moving his hips forward now, faster and faster. She was looking at his face now, and she could see the love he felt for her in his eyes, and in his smile. As he pushed into her, harder and faster, she gave herself over totally to him. Her hands fell to the mattress and he grabbed her hips now, pulling her closer. The fact that they had no other contact made the feeling even more intense, and unexpectedly, she cried out again. He smiled, and his eyes flashed bright blue for a moment. He pushed forward once more and held himself there, as his cries mixed with hers.

Then he was holding her, cradling her in his arms, and they were kissing. A tear had leaked from one of his eyes and it was running down his cheek. She kissed his wet cheek, licking the tear.

"Why did you do that?" he asked her softly, kissing her face.

"I wanted to reciprocate," she told him. "I remember when you did that with me, in Camelot."

He smiled gently. Yes, he remembered that, too. That had been a dark and terrifying night, but somehow, they had managed to pass it because they were together, and they had derived comfort and strength from each other. And now here they were, doing it again. Because there were bad things on the horizon. Castiel could feel it, and Gail could feel that emanating from him.

Cas opened his mouth to say so, but Gail was touching his face with both hands, and she was nodding. "I know," she said. "This feels very much like that, doesn't it?"

"You're not going to die this time," Cas said firmly. "I place you above all else."

"You can't do that," she said calmly.

"What do you mean?" he said, agitated. "Of course I can! It's the sacred bond!"

"No, you can't, Cas," she insisted. "I'm a soldier, just like everyone else. You and I both know that when Lucifer's death squads come, we're going to have to lead the teams, and we'll be too busy protecting our friends and family for you to worry about protecting me. If it is His will for one of us to fall, we'll just have to have faith that He'll bring us back together, just as He did after Camelot."

Cas was so upset now that he rose from the bed and started to pace the floor. "Have faith?" he repeated, raising his voice. "No! That's not good enough, Gail! This is the same Father who allowed me to go through millennia of existence alone and unloved, and when He finally took mercy and gave me you, you were married to Crowley! Then He allowed us to fall in love, but then He let you die an agonizing death. Every time He has allowed us to be together, we have paid a price in blood, and pain, and tears. He even let us believe that I had been such a monster to you that you couldn't love me anymore!"

"I never stopped loving you, Cas," she said quietly. "Even when I thought you were that monster. I would have taken half your blood into my veins, and jumped with you hand in hand, right into Hell. But that's not love, Cas. That's co-dependence. That's what our Father was trying to teach us. I love you more than life itself, Cas, but it would have to be my own life I would give up for yours, not anyone else's. You can't forsake everyone else for me, Cas. That's not right. If we're true Angels of the Lord, we have to be prepared to sacrifice each other, if need be. Can you do that, Cas?"

He stared at her, breathing heavily in his agitation, and then his shoulders slumped. "Yes," he said tonelessly. "Yes, if it's what our Father requires. Yes, I can."

He walked back to the bed and climbed under the covers with her, cradling her in his arms. He kissed her gently on the forehead, saying a silent prayer that their Father wouldn't penalize them too heavily for his lie.

General Adrian Greene pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Two missed calls, both from Wyatt. Damn it.

Now, he was torn between wanting to see Wyatt, and his sense of duty here at the base. But realistically, he wasn't really doing anything here at the moment. He had been in to see their subject a little while ago, and their captive had still been defiant. They'd thought they had broken him, but when they'd brought the Tablet to him and ordered him to translate the writing on it, he had told them very earnestly that the language on it commanded them to do something extremely X-rated to themselves. Then he had sat back in his chair and folded his arms, smirking at them.

The Officers were all beyond frustrated now. They had slammed the door to his cell and walked down the hallway of the bunker to the Officers' lounge.

"We're wasting our time with this guy," General Sizemore said to the others. "He's not going to give us anything."

"We have to keep trying," General Tanaka insisted. "We all know how much potential there is in this man, or being, or whatever he is."

"Yes, but all he's done since that first day is screw around with us!" General Sizemore said, gritting his teeth. "There was that one big burst of paranormal activity when we first captured him, but ever since that day, he won't give us anything."

"We obviously just haven't found the right incentive, yet," General Tanaka argued. "Everybody's got a vulnerability. Something they care about, that can be used to motivate them. We just have to keep trying." He looked at Adrian. "What do you think, Sir?"

Adrian started. He had been woolgathering, thinking about slipping away to see Wyatt. He was the senior officer here, and he'd thought that they had been on the verge of achieving a breakthrough with the subject. That was why he'd been pulling long hours down here. But now, they were at an impasse again.

They were in the most Top-Secret, highest-clearance warren of underground tunnels, deep under the facade known as Area 51. There were all kinds of buildings above them on the surface, and quonset huts, and aircraft, but absolutely no military operations took place there. Area 51 was just a blind, a distraction for the conspiracy theorists to focus on. The real business took place down here; when there was business, at least. The rooms had been built years ago as a safe place for the military's top brass in the event of a nuclear strike, or any other type of incursion. The men who had dreamed up this bunker's construction had been pragmatists, but they had also been open-minded. The existence of aliens or otherworldly beings had been under serious consideration even back when the place was originally constructed.

Then, a few years ago, a man had appeared in the middle of the compound, above ground. He was in a weakened state and seemed disoriented, babbling about Lucifer, and Armageddon. The soldiers had rushed forward to seize him and he had waved his hand, sending them all flying. Then another wave of soldiers had come, with the same result. Then they'd started to shoot, but only to wound. The commanding officer had said they needed to take him alive, to find out how he'd managed to infiltrate the most secure facility they had. But of course, the bullets didn't harm him, because he wasn't a human.

So, they had used the special handcuffs and chains that General Sizemore had ordered to be used to subdue the being, and then brought him down to the bunker to be interrogated. But, nothing they tried had worked on him. He didn't eat or sleep, and he wouldn't even tell them his name, or who or what he was. The only thing he would say was that Lucifer would soon be walking upon the Earth, and that Satan was going to attempt to trigger Armageddon. And all their weapons and all their secret government installations would be made irrelevant then, so they should let him go because if he decided to join the fight, he would be one of the few individuals that could actually help the human race.

But they hadn't let him go, of course. He could tell that they knew very little about...well, very little. They were merely on a fishing expedition, and he wasn't going to play their little game. Why should he? He was going to be here long after all of these guys were worm food, and their children, and their children's children. A process which might be greatly accelerated, if Lucifer got the upper hand.

The only time he had gotten really rattled was when they'd brought him that damn Tablet for the first time. His eyes had widened as he'd seen the writing on it. He knew right away it was the real deal, and he'd also known that it wasn't one of Metatron's. He'd asked to touch it, so he could look at it more closely, but they had refused his request. They may be ants, but they were not stupid ones. Too bad; if he'd been able to make contact with it, he would have been able to transcend all of the protections around him and vanish.

So now, they were at a stalemate. Adrian crossed over to the nook and poured himself a cup of coffee, thinking about where they went from here. Or, did they go anywhere? He was as frustrated as anyone. They had no idea what the entity they held captive was capable of doing, but he refused to do anything for them as long as they held him captive. It was the ultimate Catch-22. But there was no way that they could let him go. The powers he had demonstrated could be a game-changer, and if Adrian were to be the one to crack the walnut, his name might very well go into the history books.

The stone Tablet had apparently been discovered here years and years ago, when the bunker was first being built. The U.S. Military had had it locked up all this time, trying to figure out its significance. When Adrian had it brought to their subject, and their mystery guest's expression had changed so dramatically, Adrian had known they were on to something big. But, how did you compel an otherworldly being to cooperate? There was no stick, and there was no carrot.

"Let me think about it for a couple of days," Adrian told his fellow Generals.

Timma had wormed her way into the inner circle now, and even though she was treated no better than a slave girl, she had stayed in the mansion. That meant that she had the run of the place, and she had been privy to all of their conversations.

She had them all pretty well figured out by now. Lucifer was the top dog, of course, so everyone deferred to him. At least, on the surface. But she had noticed the looks of derision on Mark's and Jason's faces when Lucifer's back was turned, and whenever Paul happened to glance at their boss, the expression on his face was closed and furtive. Obviously, all was not puppies and rainbows at Armageddon Central.

Timma was still expected to service Lucifer every time he told her to come to his bedroom, but he had finally calmed down a bit in that regard. Lucifer had discovered that he liked alcohol and reading a good book almost as much as he liked sex, and even though she was imaginative and limber, Timma was already starting to wear on him a little. For all the scintillating conversation she provided, he might as well get one of those blow-up sex dolls.

Still, she had been very accommodating, so Lucifer had told her that she could do whatever she liked at the times he didn't want her. She could eat, drink, and be merry. They were getting closer to the magic number in the camp, but they weren't there yet, so now was the time for debauchery. If she wanted to indulge in her carnal appetites, she was welcome to bed one of his lieutenants, he'd told her. He doubted that Jason cared about such things, but if she was into having her blood sucked, she could go see him. Lucifer doubted it, but hey, you never knew. There were movies and TV shows that had vampires screwing, so he supposed it was possible.

If she wasn't into that, though, Lucifer told her she could go see Paul. He probably hadn't had any action in quite a while, not judging by the chip he had on his shoulder and the lemon-sucking expression he always wore. Timma knew what they said about black guys, didn't she? And Paul was a Demon, so he likely didn't have any problems dealing it dirty, if Timma wanted to indulge that side of herself.

And then, there was Mark. He was a bit of a wimp, Lucifer told her, but he must have some kind of chops, because he'd had a wife for many years who'd been slavishly devoted to him, doing anything he'd wanted. And, just between him and Timma and the lamppost, Lucifer would have thought that Mark would have been tomcatting all over the place once his poor wifey had gone to the Great Beyond. But as far as Lucifer was aware, Mark had been celibate ever since. Mark could probably use the type of service Timma could provide in that area.

Then Lucifer had walked away, leaving Timma to her thoughts. She had no interest in having any interaction with Jason. Way back when, he might have been of some use to her, when he had still held a position of power in the Kingdom of Heaven. But he was a nothing now, just a sadistic ghoul who flitted around helping himself to humans who were being found dead in their beds, presumably of natural causes. Jason was just biding his time. Lucifer had promised him that after the death squads were deployed and they'd gained the upper hand on Earth, he would separate the Angels, and Jason could resume snacking on Gail. If he had the good fortune to find her, Lucifer thought but did not say. But if Jason did find Gail, he was not allowed to kill her, or Castiel, either. Lucifer had advised Jason that those two particular Angels belonged to him, and if Jason thought he was kidding, Lucifer would be happy to give Jason a little reminder of who the boss was around here. Jason had prudently backed down. He may not think much of Lucifer as an individual, but Jason would be a fool to test Satan's power, because he would surely lose.

Timma considered Paul. He was a bit of an enigma. She knew Demons very well, of course, but Paul didn't fit the type. He was quiet most of the time but articulate when he did speak, and he had good table manners. Of course, that description could also apply to several other Demons, most notably, the King of Hell himself. But there was an aura of unease about Paul, one that Timma couldn't quite put her finger on. It was obvious to her that he had no particular respect for Lucifer, yet he stayed. Was it out of fear, perhaps? That might be it, or it might be that Paul had another agenda. If that was the case, Timma didn't really care. She had no stake in whether Lucifer was victorious, or not. She was looking for the Books. But she was sure that Paul would know nothing about them. He may be the son of an Archangel, but that was the extent of it, she was sure. No, Paul would be of no use to her.

Which left Mark. She'd had a couple of quiet conversations with him ever since the time he had delivered those clothes to her in Lucifer's bedroom, and Timma was now convinced that Lucifer's assessment of his lieutenant was both very right, and very wrong. The Gospel writer had been cowed and humiliated by Lucifer, and his resentment ran deep as a result. He hadn't received one reward for his devoted service, not even one. When Lucifer had finally ascended to Heaven, he hadn't even taken Mark with him. All his Master had ever done was hurt him, belittle him, and set him up to fail. Whenever one of Lucifer's half-baked plans had fallen through, the blame had always somehow landed right at Mark's feet. Hell, he had even murdered his own wife when she had refused to pledge allegiance to his Master. At this point, Mark was little more than an indentured servant who was stuck in his circumstance. But he was a Gospel writer, and out of all of them, he held the most promise of being able to tell her what she wanted to know.

So Timma went to his room and knocked on the door, and when Mark let her in, she smiled and said, "I was hoping to have a conversation with you."

Marl closed the door behind them. "What about?" he asked her, curious. He turned around to look at her, and she was staring at him. "I was wondering what a Gospel writer is doing being a flunky for an overgrown child with delusions of grandeur," Timma said bluntly.

He paled. "What you're saying is blasphemy," he admonished her.

She was bemused. "Really? Well, isn't that cute."

Mark's eyes narrowed. "Who are you, really, and what are you doing here? Did he send you in here to test me?"

Timma smirked. "Hardly. He's not nearly smart enough to do something like that. He should, though. None of you even want to be here. At least one of you, if not all of you, are traitors to him."

Mark rushed up to her. "Listen, you little bitch - " he started to say, but Timma put her fingers to his lips, and he fell silent.

"No, Mark. You are going to listen to me," she said. "You and I are going to have a very honest conversation. But I know your loyalty to the serpent runs deep, so I'll make it easier for you." She waved her hand over herself and suddenly, it was Felicia standing before him.

"I've missed you, Mark," she said, wide-eyed. She took his hand and put it on her breast. "I need you, baby."

Mark started to smile. He knew this wasn't really Felicia, of course, but whoever or whatever this woman was, she'd known how to get his attention. For all his talk about wanting to lay with willing Angels, Mark had found that he could only get excited when he pictured Felicia in that kind of scenario.

He picked Timma up and took her over to the bed, tearing off her clothes on the way. She let him do it to her twice, and then she flipped him over onto his back and used the torn remnants of her clothes to bind him to the bedposts. Then she ran her hands over the bindings, securing the bonds.

Ammit changed back to her original human appearance, then she waved her hand over herself again, and she was fully clothed. But she left Mark naked. When it came to a human vessel, she knew that nakedness equaled vulnerability.

"OK, we've had our fun, but now, I need you to tell me what you know about the Books," she told him.

Mark's forehead wrinkled. "Books? What books?"

"THE Books," she answered patiently. "The only Books that matter. The Book Of Life, and The Book Of The Dead."

Mark's eyes widened. How could she know about those? "Who ARE you?" he asked her in a hushed tone.

Ammit flexed her hand, making her claws come out. She pointed her index finger at his chest. "I'm asking the questions right now, Mark. So, unless you want me to scoop out your heart with these, you'll speak when spoken to. So, I repeat, where are the Books?"

"I don't know," Mark said in a small voice. Her hand hovered over his heart, and he screamed, "I don't know! I'm telling you the truth! Lucifer looked in God's office for them when he was there, but he didn't find them. All he found were files on them, among other subjects."

"Files?" Ammit echoed, puzzled. She was kneeling over Mark, and she rocked back on her heels now, thinking. "What did the files say, Mark?" she asked curiously.

"We don't know," he replied. "Before Lucifer had the chance to look at them, the Originals kicked him out of Heaven."

Ammit let out a frustrated breath. She believed him. She could just picture Lucifer, skipping around Heaven as if it were the neighbourhood playground, when he'd held the key to everything right in his hands. Idiot.

"So, bottom line: none of you here know where the Books are, or anything about what they might contain?" she said calmly.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Mark exclaimed, agitated.

She nodded slowly. "So you have, Mark," Ammit said. "So you have." She stared at him a moment longer. Did she have any further questions? Well, yes, she did, but none that this pathetic worm could answer.

She flexed her hand again and dug her claws into his chest, scooping his heart out. She brought it to her lips and gave it a tentative lick. Hmm. Tasted like tofu, sour candy, and excrement. Oh yes, this was a mewling, useless individual, who was way past his expiry date. Perhaps he'd had some worth when he'd been in Heaven writing Gospels aeons ago, but not any longer. Lucifer would have to find a new whipping boy now. Perhaps he would employ a little affirmative action, and Paul would get a promotion. She bit into the heart and chewed it for a moment, but the taste was so repugnant that she just gave in and swallowed the entire thing whole. Demon goddesses didn't generally drink alcohol, but perhaps Ammit would raid Lucifer's bar after she was done here and drink a bottle or two, just to get the taste of Gospel writer dung out of her mouth.

Incredibly, though, Mark was still alive. He was screaming, struggling against the bonds. Understandable. Ammit waved her hand and silenced him, though he continued to writhe. She rolled her eyes. Well, he may be disgusting, but Mark had once been an exalted member of God's Book Club. If she was going to kill him, she would have to choke down his soul, too. Reapers had it easy, she thought resentfully. All they had to do was take the soul; she actually had to eat the damned thing. Normally, she would be a bit more motivated to do it, because ingesting an elite soul would increase her strength and raise her standing, but the benefit derived from this shell of a being would be negligible.

Still, she reached her claws into his thorax and yanked out his soul. She regarded it with distaste for a moment. Fortunately, there was more than one way to ingest it. She dug into her own thorax with her free hand and opened up a hole, then stuffed Mark's soul into it. There was a blinding glow as she assimilated it into herself, and then she was done.

Ammit looked down at Mark's bloody vessel. Now, he was truly gone. She waved her hand over her body absently, cleaning herself. Then she smiled. It would be fun to see Lucifer's expression when Mark's body was discovered. The only regret she had was that she hadn't changed back into the form of Felicia before she killed Mark. That would have been a blow for womens' rights. She wondered if Felicia and Mark would bump into each other in the Netherworld. Presumably that was where they would both end up. Felicia had been Ignatius's daughter, and Ignatius had been Upper Echelon, second only to Castiel himself in terms of length of service. And Mark was one of the original four Gospel writers. Death was the one who was in charge of the Netherworld, so he was currently overseeing the assignments. Ammit was looking to change that status quo, of course, hence her quest to obtain the Books. But there were others, too, who had yet to be heard from, and a couple of them were what Dean Winchester would probably call "heavy hitters". These parties were likely circling around like sharks, waiting for the issue of Armageddon to be decided, one way or the other. But Ammit had always been a proactive sort of entity. She had risen through the ranks by taking initiative and now, she was the one who was in charge of the Lake of Fire, the one who decided which of the souls she ingested were to be cast into the flame. The men might be stronger, but if she got the jump on them, she just might surprise everyone.

She rose from the bed. "Goodbye, Mark. I'll see you at the Lake." Then she disappeared from his room.

Ammit reappeared in the mansion's library. She kept herself invisible for the moment. Lucifer was sitting in an overstuffed armchair reading a thick book, with a drink on the table next to him. She couldn't quite make out the title of the book, but he seemed to be enjoying it a great deal, because he was smiling widely.

"Man, I wish I'd had these people in my camp," Lucifer said aloud, chuckling. "Talk about devotion to a cause. I like the way they thought big there, near the end. And this guy had an interesting take on Revelation, that's for sure."

Ammit almost laughed. The Devil talked to himself, out loud. Of course he did; nobody else could stand to be in his company. She walked quietly over to where he sat, leaned down, and spoke into his ear. "Mark is dead, and the Angels are laughing at you." Then she vanished from the mansion.

Lucifer frowned. What the hell had that been? There was nobody here. He looked down at his book again, but he couldn't concentrate now. Maybe he would just go see Mark, just to be on the safe side.

He put the book down, snapped his fingers, and appeared in Mark's room. He saw his lieutenant laying spread-eagled on the bed, naked, and he started to smirk. Timma had obviously been here.

But as Lucifer approached the bed, ready to make a wisecrack, his smile faded as he saw all the blood, and the hole in Mark's chest. He rushed up to his former right-hand man. "Oh, you stupid bastard," Lucifer breathed.

He snapped his fingers and the ties flew off Mark's limbs, but Mark did not stir. Lucifer leaned down to examine him more closely. So, it was really true. Mark was dead.

Lucifer's eyes glowed red, and he grabbed Mark's naked corpse and heaved it across the room. "You useless piece of crap!" he raged. "You pathetic waste of space!" He stood there, breathing heavily. The voice had said it was the Angels. Damn Castiel. How the hell had he gotten in here? And where the hell was he now?

Lucifer looked around wildly. "Jason! Paul! Get in here!" he bellowed.

His remaining lieutenants rushed into the room and were shocked to see Mark's crumpled corpse in the corner, and Lucifer's eyes blazing red. Had he killed Mark in a fit of rage?

"Castiel's here," Lucifer seethed. "Find him and bring him to me."

"Castiel?!" Paul exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes! He killed Mark!" Lucifer shouted.

Paul looked at Mark's body again. Castiel? He highly doubted it. "He didn't do that," he blurted out.

"Really?" Lucifer said, gritting his teeth. He was trying to hold on to his temper; he didn't feel like losing another assistant so soon. "What makes you say that?"

"Look at his chest," Paul said, bending over to look more closely. "His heart's ripped right out of him. And I'll bet you his soul's gone, too. No way an Angel did that."

Lucifer frowned. He looked at Jason. "What do you think? I know that you and your partner in crime used to pull off some pretty gruesome stuff."

"Much as I hate to admit it, I think Paul is right," Jason said. "We did a lot of torture and a lot of killing, but I've never seen him do anything like that before."

"This is more like the work of a Demon God," Paul added. "And he'd probably have to be a pretty powerful one, to take Mark down."

Lucifer was thinking about that now. A Demon God? What the hell? Was this Crowley's doing? But then it dawned on him: Timma. The bitch had obviously tied Mark up and then set him up for slaughter, just like in the book that Lucifer had been reading. Once Mark was incapacitated, Timma must have let her boss in to do the deed. But, one thing bothered Lucifer; he should have been able to identify her as a Demon from the get-go. Oh, well. In any event, it was Lucifer who had given the little slut the run of the place, so in a way, it was Lucifer's own fault. But he would never admit that, of course. He was the Supreme Ruler, and crap rolled downhill.

But even if this didn't turn out to be Castiel's handiwork, Lucifer didn't really care at the moment. Bottom line was, he was pissed, and he wanted to take it out on somebody. He thought again about the book he was in the midst of reading. His death squads weren't quite set up yet, but he had plenty of Demons out there in the camp, and he was sure they were chomping at the bit.

"I think Castiel needs a bit of a wake-up call," Lucifer told his assistants. "There are consequences to screwing with me. You kill one of mine, I'll kill hundreds of yours. Come on."

He stalked out of the room as Paul and Jason looked at each other, puzzled. Hadn't they both just said that Castiel didn't kill Mark? But they knew better than to argue with Lucifer when he was in this state. They followed him down the stairs and outside to the campgrounds.

"Demons, front and centre!" Lucifer bellowed.

They all gathered around as he walked down the steps towards the front lawn, Paul and Jason behind him.

"Squadron leaders, step forward," Lucifer called out. A couple of dozen Demons came to the head of the pack. "We have a criminal to apprehend," Lucifer continued. "His name is Castiel, and he's an Angel of the Lord." A low murmur went through the crowd. "I know that you all know who he is. Hell, most of you have probably been killed by him, at one point or another," Lucifer went on. "He has to be brought to justice for his crimes. You guys are going to flush him out. I want you to divide up into four teams. Go."

He stood back and watched them, to see how fast they could do it. Demons couldn't usually do math very quickly, and they weren't known for their organizational skills, but these ones seemed better than most. Maybe it was because he'd invoked the hated name. He'd just said that to be funny, but Castiel likely HAD killed the vast majority of them.

When they were grouped in teams of six, Lucifer counted with his finger. "Eeeny, meeny, miney, moe, catch a..." he glanced at Paul, who frowned darkly, "...tiger by the toe. The first three groups, come up here. I'll be giving you your instructions in a minute."

As the Demons trooped up to where Paul and Jason stood, Lucifer walked down to the fourth group. "You guys have the most important job of all," he told them cheerfully. "I need you to go back down to Hell and deliver a message to Crowley from me."

They looked at him warily. Was he nuts? They were all defectors from Hell, and Crowley was not a bygones-be-bygones type of individual.

"It's OK, guys," Lucifer assured them. "He and I have an understanding. I just need to get a message to him, that's all."

Sid knew he shouldn't open his mouth, but he just couldn't help himself: "Then why don't you just contact him yourself?"

The other Demons winced. Nice knowing ya, Sid. Lucifer looked at him. "Sid, isn't it? Well, here's the thing, Sid. BECAUSE I FRIGGIN' WELL SAID SO!" He snapped his fingers and Sid fell to the ground, dead.

"Paul!" Lucifer called out, crooking his finger. Paul hurried over to where his boss stood. "Paper and pen," Lucifer said shortly, holding out his hand. Paul reached into his jacket and gave Lucifer the items. The Devil scribbled a quick note, folded it, and then reached down, taking the knife out of Sid's pocket. Sid wouldn't be needing it any more. He pinned the note to Sid's chest with his knife, then straightened up, looking at the other Demons in Sid's group.

"Any other curious little kittens?" Lucifer asked them archly. All was silent. "That's what I thought," he said. "If he lets any of you live, maybe I'll see you on the flip side." Then he snapped his fingers, and the group disappeared.

Lucifer came back to the groups of Demons that were standing with Paul and Jason. "You guys are going to hijack 3 planes and hold all of the passengers hostage." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Vegas. Yeah. Vegas." He was thinking of Castiel and Gail. They had a soft spot for the place; this was sure to get their attention. He grinned. "Tell the flight attendants to tell the pilots of these planes that you're going to choose 6 passengers at random on each plane every hour and execute them, until Castiel and Gail give themselves up to me. Tell them to tell CNN that The Rev is behind the hijackings. I'll expect them at the crossroads, Tablets in hand, or everyone on those planes will die. And if we've killed everybody, including the pilots, and they still haven't given in, we'll just keep on doing it. Let's see how many deaths my sainted Brother can have on his conscience before he finally cracks. Now, go."

The Demons popped out, and Lucifer smiled smugly. "That'll teach the Angels to laugh at me," he said out loud. Then he looked at Jason. "Search the compound," he ordered the vampire. "If you find Timma, bring her to me, alive." As Jason flitted off, Lucifer looked at Paul. "Call CNN for me, and give them the heads-up," Lucifer instructed the Demon. "Tell them what I just said. We'll give him two hours to surrender himself, and then the killing starts."

Paul nodded curtly, then turned on his heel and walked up the steps and into the mansion. Holy crap. What was he gonna do? He was thinking furiously now. Could he use the house phone to call Castiel and warn him, maybe? But then, what would the Angels do? There was no way that Cas was going to bring Gail and the Tablets to Lucifer, and just hand them over. But there was no way he could just sit back and let all those people be killed, either.

But the point was rendered moot when Lucifer accompanied Paul into the house. There was no way he could call Castiel now. So he sat down at the computer to look up a contact number for CNN as Lucifer paced the floor impatiently, and then Paul placed the call.

"Crap! Oh, holy crap," Dean said. He'd been flipping channels on the TV in his and Sam's room in Enoch, looking for something to doze off to, when he'd landed on CNN. The newscaster was talking about three planes that had been hijacked simultaneously on the approach to the Las Vegas airport. Speculation was running rampant that this might be another 9/11 situation. Dean got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"An anonymous tip received exclusively by CNN has stated that the hijackers will wait two hours to see if their terms are met, and then they will begin to execute the passengers. We have been informed that a mysterious man known only as 'The Rev' is purported to be behind the attacks. One of the hijackers has been recorded outlining the requested terms. Many of the words he used are nonsensical to us here, but the decision has been made to broadcast the recording in the hopes that someone will come forward to help identify the hijackers."

Cas and Gail were also watching in their room. They had missed the part about "The Rev", but Cas's attention had been obtained by the headline as he channel-surfed. The Angels were appalled, but their unhappiness turned to horror as they heard the recorded threats. They had been relaxing in their customary cuddling position, but Gail sat up in alarm as they heard their names mentioned. The Demon spokesman had repeated Lucifer's threat verbatim.

The two Angels sprang off the bed and began to dress immediately, and moments later, Cas's cell phone rang. He snatched it up from the nightstand with one hand, as he did up his pants with the other. "Yes, we heard, Dean. Please call Frank and Jody. We'll all meet in your room." He hung up, and he and Gail looked at each other.

"What are we going to do, Cas?" Gail asked him, pulling her top over her head.

"I don't know, my love," he said, as he buttoned up his shirt. He grabbed his jacket from the chair at the desk with one hand and shrugged it on, putting his cell phone in one of the pockets. He automatically felt for his blade, even though he knew it was there. He was glad to see that Gail was putting hers in her jeans pocket.

Cas rushed over to her. "I was hoping we'd have more time," he said to his wife.

"We'll have plenty, once this is all over," she told him. But her stomach was churning. Would they? How the hell did she know?

Cas embraced her fiercely, kissing her on the mouth, and then they popped over to Sam and Dean's room.

Frank and Jody were already there, looking distressed. Frank was pacing the floor. "What the hell are we gonna do, Cas?" he asked his brother-in-law impatiently. "What's the plan?"

But Cas was at a loss. "I don't know," he said, dazed.

"What do you mean, you don't know? You'd better figure it out, then!" Frank said angrily. "They're gonna start killing people in half an hour!"

Cas pursed his lips. "I know that, Frank. But you know we can't just hand over the Tablets to him."

"Yeah, but what about all those innocent people?" Frank countered. "What about all those people who woke up today and said, 'Let's pop over to Vegas for the weekend, honey? Could be fun.' What about them? Look, I know you guys probably think they're all sinners. Maybe you think they don't really deserve to live, but..."

"Shut up, Frank!" Gail shouted. "How dare you say something like that to Cas? Just because he's an Angel? If you think he condemns people just because they drink and gamble, you obviously haven't been paying attention! Maybe you should quit badgering him and remember we're on the same team, here! So unless YOU can think of a solution, maybe you should just shut it."

"Well said, Gail," Jody said, looking angrily at her husband. "We need to put our heads together on this. There has to be a way we can stop them without giving up the farm. Now everybody, just be quiet for a minute and think."

Sam had a germ of an idea. He looked at Cas. "Maybe you could call Tommy and see if his ex can get through to the Officer he's been...working. Maybe the military can do something. Scramble some jets, or something?"

"And then what?" Dean asked his brother. "Shoot the planes out of the sky, like they were gonna do on 9/11? How does that save those people?"

"Even if they were to do that, he'll just deploy more Demons," Castiel said, frowning. "It is the humans who will keep dying."

Dean slammed his hand down on the table in frustration. But then, he remembered something. "Didn't Tommy tell us that he used to fly for those guys?" he asked aloud.

"Dean, that's brilliant!" Gail exclaimed. She looked at Cas. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Cas was nodding. "That might just work."

"Ummm...WHAT just might work?" Frank asked them.

"You'll see," Gail said. "We'll explain when we get there. Have you guys got your weapons?"

"We can get more at the bunker," Dean said, starting to grin. He felt like the smartest kid in the whole school right now. It wasn't too often that he was the first to come up with such a good idea, leaving Sam in the dust.

Gail took his and Sam's hands and Cas took Frank's and Jody's, and they appeared in the bunker, startling Barry, who was clearing the library table for dinner. They had taken to eating dinner out here most nights so they could hang around with the Angels. Barry thought unity would be very important, going forward.

"Sorry, Barry, but we didn't have time to call ahead," Cas said brusquely. "Where's Tommy?"

"What's up, Cas?" Tommy said curiously. He was emerging from the hallway with the placemats, preparing to help Barry set the table.

"Can you fly a commercial airliner?" Cas asked him without preliminary.

"Sure I can," Tommy said with a bewildered expression, dropping the placemats on the table. He looked at all their faces. "Why? What's going on?"

"Turn on CNN," Cas ordered Riley, who was sitting on the couch with Ethan and Robbie, watching this exchange. Everyone gathered around the TV, shocked at what they were seeing.

"Here's what we're going to do," Cas said, tight-lipped. "Gail and I are going to take Sam, Dean, Frank and Jody into one plane at a time. We will kill the hijackers, and if they have compromised the pilot, Tommy can land the plane safely. Then Gail and I will modify the memories of the humans to erase their recollections of us having been there."

They all looked at each other. That actually sounded like it could work. Sam, Dean and Frank rushed down to the weapons room to get Demon knives for everyone.

"Here," Frank said, handing one to Tommy. "We'll take the lead, but if you have to use this, don't hesitate."

"Do you need us to go with you?" Ethan asked, with a tinge of hope in his voice. He felt like he still had a score to settle with Lucifer for the way that Satan had tricked Ethan into letting him into Heaven. And one of those Demon bastards had killed Karen and little George. His heart hurt every time he thought about that, and that was pretty much every moment of every day.

Cas considered this for a split second. On the one hand, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have as much backup as they could. He had no way of knowing how many enemies there would be.

But Tommy was shaking his head. "Bad idea," he said. "There isn't a lot of room to maneuver on most commercial jets. If you're talking about hand-to-hand combat, less is more in this situation. The more bodies you have clogging up the aisle, the more chance of a civilian getting hurt." He had seamlessly segued into the mindset of the guy who had once been in the military.

Cas nodded briefly, seeing the sense in what Tommy was saying. "All right, let's go," he said, coming forward to take Tommy's hand. Tommy shoved the Demon knife in his belt and looked at Barry. "Don't hold dinner," he quipped.

"Please be careful," Barry pleaded. He looked at Cas. "Please take care of him, Cas."

"We will," Cas assured him.

Then the Angels and the humans joined hands and disappeared from the bunker.

They all reappeared on the first plane, taking the Demons completely by surprise. There were three Demons in the aisle in Economy Class, and one in First Class. The passengers either screamed or were shocked into silence, when the group just appeared, out of the blue. Sam, Dean, Jody and Frank attacked the Demons in Economy while Cas, Gail and Tommy rushed forward to First Class. Cas killed the Demon that was there, then he looked at Gail, smiling faintly. "I doubt if they will, but I'll go back and see if our friends need any assistance. Then I'll start modifying the passengers' memories. Take Tommy into the cockpit, and I'll be there in a moment."

He turned back, and Gail grabbed Tommy's hand. She popped Tommy into the cockpit, startling the other two Demons, who were sitting in the pilots' and co-pilots' seats. Gail looked down and saw the bodies of the pilot and co-pilot, laying in the corner. One of the Demons was flying the plane.

Gail and Tommy rushed forward, knives raised. Because they had the element of surprise, they were able to kill the Demons quickly. Then Tommy sat down in the pilot's seat. "At least they had her on Autopilot," he muttered aloud.

"Are you OK from here?" she asked him. "I just want to make sure they have everything under control out there."

"Yeah, go ahead, Gail. I've got this," Tommy told her. He disconnected the Autopilot and reached for the headset to contact the ground. It had been a while, but he moved quickly and efficiently. You never forgot your training. Once he'd landed this bird, he would take a second to give his head a shake over the strange sight of Gail, plunging her knife multiple times into the guy she'd attacked, and seeing the black eyes of the Demons. But this was life and death right now, and all of the passengers on this plane were relying on Tommy and his friends to keep them alive.

Gail unlocked the cockpit door and swung it open just in time to see Cas coming up the aisle. He was touching the passengers' foreheads, one side, then the other, modifying their memories. The ones he hadn't gotten to yet were still in their seats, most of them cowed by their traumatic experience. One young man took his cell phone out of his pocket and tried to snap a picture of Cas and their human friends. Gail raised her blade and pointed the golden beam at the phone, knocking it out of his hands. "Sorry, we're camera-shy," she said. Cas modified the young man's memory, giving her a brief smile.

"Come here," he said to her.

She put her knife away and walked down the aisle towards him.

"Tommy OK?" Dean asked her, and she nodded. "Yeah, he's got everything under control," Gail told him.

"I'd like you to help me with the rest of the passengers," Cas told Gail quietly.

"Cas, I've never done that before," she said nervously. "I don't even know if I can."

"Of course you can," he said softly. "Here. Let me show you." He took her hand and put it on the forehead of a frightened-looking woman. "It's all right," Cas said to the passenger. "We are Angels." He leaned down to speak softly into Gail's ear. "Just let my energy flow through you, my love." He put his hand on top of hers and the blue glow emanated from his fingers. A moment later, Gail realized that she DID know how to modify this woman's memory, and the golden glow started to issue from her hand. "I've got this, sweetie," she told him. Cas smiled, and removed his hand.

The two of them finished with the rest of the passengers. Then Cas went into the cockpit, checking in with Tommy.

"We'll be landing in about ten minutes," their friend told him.

"Good," Cas said. "Then we'll move on to the next plane, and then the last. Thank you, Tommy."

Tommy smiled. "I'm glad to be of service. Finally. I've been a babysitter and bottle washer for too long, Cas."

Cas smiled grimly. How ironic was that? Tommy was longing for action, and Cas was wishing that he and Gail could spend at least a month or so doing absolutely nothing.

Tommy landed the plane and then the Angels popped him and the others to the next plane and repeated the process. Those on the ground would be completely mystified as to how the planes had been able to be landed safely with their pilots and co-pilots laying dead in the cockpit. And they would have no clue who'd killed the hijackers, because none of the passengers would remember a thing. But there was no time for finesse right now. They had to get to all three of the planes before the deadline was up.

With the second plane safely landed, the group popped into the last plane. But suddenly, they saw that there were triple the amount of Demons on it.

"You took too long, Castiel," one of them said, grabbing Gail and holding a knife to her throat. "Our compadres sent us the alert, and we called back down to Earth for reinforcements. Now, everybody on this plane's gonna die, including all of your friends."

All of the Demons started to laugh as he gripped the knife tighter and slit Gail's throat.

\- END OF BOOK 22 -


End file.
